Recast
by Kaeru Shisho
Summary: Wufei pursues Duo, who has been forsaken at the altar and is now trying to sort out his life, aiming to turn lost hopes into paradise found.
1. Chapter 1

**Recast**

Summary: Wufei pursues Duo, who has been forsaken at the altar and is now trying to sort out his life, aiming to turn lost hopes into paradise found.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Gundam Wing or its characters, nor do I make any monetary profit off this story.

A/N: Thanks to Waterlily for generous feedback and improvements to the story throughout.

Warning: Yaoi, AU, and an unlikeable Heero, Trowa, and Quatre, but very nice Wufei and Duo

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

Seeing Wufei Chang was at first a complete surprise, followed in rapid succession by irritation, anger, confusion, and then he settled for guarded curiosity. There was no reason to assume the worst right off. The man was a Preventers agent, sure, but one that hadn't been around for the… fiasco.

However… Une might have sent him to haul Duo's ass back to Sanc. Not that he could think of a single reason why she'd want him back unless she had no one else to make miserable.

But… Chang didn't strike him as anyone's lackey, even his commander's.

So… What was he doing here invading Duo's quiet world? He decided to be cool and see how things played out.

"'Fei? Is that you? No way! Sure it is! What are you doing here?" Duo shouted out.

Duo's life had just started falling into a routine, and that was only after having moved to the vacation resort a couple months ago. He'd completed his day's work and was thinking about what to hunt down for dinner, while enjoying a leisurely stroll along the beach bars, when _there he was_.

The familiar tense figure, well-built, compact, deadly- definitely in no way a candidate for a mugging, a fairly common occurrence on the island, despite its trained police force and safe reputation- standing at the edge of the boardwalk, not half a block from the sandy stretch of beach which made Duo's avenue. No, no one would think that man couldn't defend himself, and it was in the way he carried himself had drawn Duo's attention. Asians were a common sight on the island. It was Duo's pale slow-to-bronze skin and yard-long rope of hair that made him look out of place.

As telling as his ready-to-kill stance was, it was that elegant and, to some extent, arrogant, profile that gave him away. Chang Wufei. Duo knew without a doubt it was Wufei. Maybe the last person on earth he had expected to see here. Even Heero had been a more likely candidate to put in a surprise appearance.

The young man turned at Duo's call; the slicked back black ponytail snaked out of sight. "Hello," Wufei replied not surprised at all, looking as if he'd expected to see Duo any minute. "I've… (cough) never been here before."

He thought Wufei sounded a bit hoarse. "Uh, huh…and?"

"If I said I was taking a vacation, would you believe me?"

"I might, if I thought you'd gone bonkers, gone soft overnight, or swapped bodies with someone else." Duo laughed at his own ridiculousness; however, he noticed Wufei appeared serious. "Okay, I'll buy in. You're on vacation." It was possible he'd come out of friendship. _Possible_. "Is this coincidental?"

The more he thought about it, the more Duo doubted it was. He'd never known Wufei to take a single vacation day in the four years' sentence at Preventers. He pretty much _knew_ it was not an accident that the man should show up and, so, his anger and resentment returned. He guessed Une had set him up to try and talk Duo into returning. Wouldn't work, but he'd give Wufei a chance to tell him his story.

"I could use a drink," Wufei said instead. "I've been approached five times in as many minutes by kids asking if I wanted to buy marijuana." He made a disgusted face. "Is there someplace we can go to talk?"

"Yeah, part of my beach walk. C'mon."

They both chose juice drinks with ice, no alcohol, from the beach bar, and carried them to a wobbly table under a sea-grass-covered umbrella.

"Nice place," Wufei said.

"I think so." Duo waved at the ocean beyond. If Wufei chose to pass the time with small talk, then he'd let him. Duo had all the time in the world now. "I'll never get used to seeing that."

"The vastness of the ocean lures us all." Wufei closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

Duo would wait him out, if that's what it would take. His friend, if he could call him that, never did anything, even relax, without a purpose.

"I gave the commander my notice," Wufei said.

Duo jerked to attention in his chair, slopping his drink. "You quit Preventers?"

"After _what happened_? Yes, of course! You act surprised."

Duo bypassed the introduced topic of '_what happened' _and jumped into the one that touched fewer tender parts of Duo's soul. "You were the only one of us that voluntarily joined Preventers. You loved working there."

"Up to a point, I did. Preventers paid for my college education. I loved that, but what is the point of knowledge if it does not lead to personal change? Nothing… nothing would keep me working for an organization capable of such vile treatment… of intentionally… of such a despicable… unjust act—!"

The venom-laced words stunned Duo. Wufei could be intense, and opinionated, but Duo hadn't heard one of his outbursts for ages. Duo interrupted. "I know you weren't a part of _**it**__,_" he said laying on heavy emphasis. "I hadn't seen you around for weeks." Besides, Wufei never involved himself in other people's love-lives, or lives for that matter.

"Of course not! I couldn't _believe_ it when I first heard the ludicrous plan mentioned. I told them it was a terrible idea and I wouldn't condone it. I assumed that the plan had been shelved for good. Merquise, well, I'd expected more from him- and _Yuy_?" Wufei made a face like someone who had sucked on a lime wedge; he may done so, too, since one dangled on the lip of his glass. "_Unbelievable_. I had to leave on a mission that day, which was why I'd happened by to hear the discussion in the first place. I needed to see Merquise for… it's not important. It meant that I didn't have the opportunity go back and make certain it had been terminated, but-" Wufei looked up from across the table to meet Duo's gaze head on. "- I _should_ have."

Duo wanted to put a stop to any lingering guilt. "Not your fault. You were out of the country, 'Fei. You couldn't lose focus on a mission. Hey, you did what you could, and I appreciated it. I really do, but… it's all over… and done with."

"No, it's not," Wufei said. "I want formal apologies and compensation for you. And I shall get them!"

"It's not going to happen. You know Une. She's never respected me, barely tolerated my being in Preventers. She let this happen. We've all done our four years, and more, so we're free to leave Preventers. I quit. I'm never going back. You shouldn't quit over me, though."

"I cannot work alongside agents willing to…lie to another agent. If I can't trust them, I can't work with them. I used my vacation time, not that it matters, because I'm never going back, either."

(o)

Duo couldn't agree more. "Going back" was absolutely not an option from his perspective.

For the last couple of months, the debacle, which had sent him reeling away from his job and home of the past four years, had replayed in his mind and in his dreams, taking various pathways, focusing on different aspects, and taking on a few twisted deviations, especially at night, so often he wasn't sure how much had really even happened the way he recalled it.

It had happened too fast and had been so unbelievably unreal at the time that now it seemed pure fantasy.

Quatre had been about the only neutral subject he'd been able to latch onto as his mind reiterated over and over what happened. He'd been Duo's best friend, the first one he told about Heero's sudden interest.

"Really?" Quatre had sounded pleased enough; although, when looking back Duo thought maybe his friend's single-word response would be better described as skeptical rather than actually pleased.

Quatre had been distracted by something, but when Duo had asked what was bothering him, he didn't get an answer. After that, he was too caught up in his personal drama to notice.

"It's nothing important," Quat had reassured him. "It can wait."

Duo hadn't pressed him and decided Quatre seemed unaware as himself as to what Heero really was thinking. This was in contrast to Trowa, who'd been completely aloof, and, obviously, Heero, who had been totally aware, responsible, and thus blameworthy from the start- along with most every other agent he knew.

At least Quatre had _been_ there, standing with him that day.

"Quat! Stop fussing with whatever that is! Wait! I can't find the ring!"

"That's because Trowa has it. This should have been rehearsed… Now calm down and let me straighten your tie. It wouldn't become crooked if you stopped playing with it."

"I wasn't playing with it," Duo whined. "It was strangling me. Noooo! Don't tighten it!"

"Put a finger between your neck and the shirt collar and hold it there. See? It gives you a little more air space."

"Yeah, better. Thanks."

"You are welcome." Quatre stepped back and looked over his friend. "You look very handsome, Duo. If only you two had given this a bit more time—" Quatre sighed and didn't complete his thought, and Duo had been too flustered to care. "There, we're ready." Quatre moved toward the door to the main gallery. "I'll signal—"

"Don't bother," Duo said with a grand gesture. "No announcement necessary. Move aside. Let's just go in."

"Well, okay. The organist was told to take her cue from Heero-." Quatre dropped the rest of what he was going to say and opened the door so Duo could sweep past him into the next room.

People were shouting and charging around in confusion. They should have been quietly waiting in their proper seats for the wedding march to begin signaling the entrance of the groom. "Eh?" Duo cast about the muddle for his fiancé. Where was he?

Quatre sucked in his breath and then spotted the taller man in a knot of other young men, none in formal dress. "Trowa! Is it over? What's going on?"

He probably said a great deal more, but to Duo's ears his words were lost in the cacophony beyond.

Duo's excitement, elevated to the upper atmosphere during his preparations, plummeted at the sight of Heero, his intended, in his workday clothes. He ploughed through the people separating him from Heero, pushing swat team agents and guests to the side as he went and not discriminating between them. "Why aren't you dressed?" It was the first thing out of his mouth. "What the hell's going on here?" That was the second.

"It worked," Heero said. "The event drew them in and five were shot, ten apprehended unharmed."

The _event?_ Their wedding had been a staged event for the purposes of luring in criminals? Duo couldn't comprehend what had been said, not at first. His head reeled with the shock. "What about the ceremony?" he asked, meaning: what about us?

"Oh, you can get out of the tux now. It's all over." Heero chuckled as he received another clap on the back and another round of applause circled the room. "Mission over and successful."

"Why don't you join us at Wiley's bar?" an agent asked Duo. "We're celebrating another mission success."

Duo shook his head. "Not feeling it." He bumped into Quatre as he made his way back to the dressing room.

"—I think it's too bad… Heero didn't really get a good look at you… unfortunate… and you look so nice and-" Duo barely listened as Quatre prattled on as if nothing earth-shattering hadn't just happened. "—Just leave the suit on the hanger. Someone's picking it up—"

To Duo's eyes it seemed clear that even Quatre wasn't bothered with the nuptials ending abruptly. Was it possible that no one but him thought this was supposed to be a real wedding ceremony, he wondered?

Even now, months later, after the passage of time to heal sufficiently had enabled Duo to think about what had happened, he tried to trace the confluence of events backwards in time.

Had he missed clues from everyone or anyone?

Had he misunderstood what was going on?

He didn't think so.

And yet.

It had been rushed. Heero's proposal had come as a complete surprise, the man springing it on him as they'd left a restaurant. There was a time element never completely explained to him, but Duo hadn't cared. He'd been in a haze of happiness. If Heero wanted to get married, squeezing it in before his next big assignment, well… that was okay with Duo.

He really wants me!—that was about all Duo's brain could absorb.

Whatever amounted to good judgment, Duo had tossed out with every other consideration of his own personal needs.

He moved out of the Preventers dormitory and into Heero's apartment the next day and never really unpacked. There hadn't been time, what with the travel arrangements for their honeymoon to make, at Duo's suggestion.

Heero let him, disinterested in beaches, but compliant. He would take care of all the other arrangements. Duo felt the need to buy Heero a ring and did on his own over lunch. He didn't know if Heero would have one for him, but he hoped so. He'd hinted about it enough.

"So, where do I put these boxes?" Duo asked after lugging all of his clothes and stingy-few belongings up the stairs to Heero's, and now his, apartment.

Heero took his phone from his ear and said, "Spare room. I have to head out in a minute."

"Head out?" This was the night before their wedding and Duo thought Heero would at least want to spend it with him. "Careful or you'll rub the skin off your ear."

Heero gave him such a stunned look, Duo might have laughed had it not been so sad. He figured Heero spent more time on his phone and computer than sleeping, eating, and paying attention to him combined. Very sad.

"Make sure you have enough men stationed outside. No, Barton, I trust you to do that. All right. Station check in twenty." Heero put away his phone and ducked into the bathroom without a word to Duo.

"So, Trowa's invited?"

"Yes. I've taken care of everything."

Duo perched on a box and waited for Heero to reappear. "Won't Preventers give you the night off?"

"To do what?"

"Well, I guess we'll have plenty of time to discover the answer to _that_ on the honeymoon, right?" Duo asked, chuckling to cover how upset he felt, and disappointed.

He walked to the couch and flopped full-length along it.

If he'd thought Heero was a closet romantic, then he certainly was getting his reality check now!

"Don't wait up. I'll be late," Heero told him at the door. "There's food you can heat up. You can download any movie you want."

"I can? Gee, thanks!" Duo said, plastering onto the tone of his voice a thick layer of irony.

Remembering that, weeks later, caused Duo's trace of twisted smile. Yes, even before the event he'd had a little glimmer of backbone. Despite his enchanted state of bliss, it had started to become a bit much to put up with.

"Don't I get a kiss goodnight?" he asked Heero, hoping.

Heero paused, as if to think it over, before stepping over to where Duo had sprawled. He leaned over and brushed lips.

Duo threw his arms around his neck and drew him in, kissing harder and with enthusiasm. When Heero pulled back, Duo could see his face flush with blood. A response! Encouraged, Duo added, "There's more where that came from, babe. That's just so you don't forget who's waiting here for you."

Heero blinked, straightened his jacket, and said, "I wouldn't forget."

Whether he remembered or forgot, Duo gave up caring. All he knew was that Heero hadn't returned that night until he'd already fallen asleep.

Quatre had appeared at the apartment the next day with Duo's tux, ready to sweep him off to get primped. Heero had already gone, before dawn, called away to some onerous task. They'd meet at the hall where the wedding was scheduled to take place.

A whirlwind.

But… the wedding hadn't been real!

_Not real!_

He remembered now that he must have been in shock after that, running on automatic. Duo tried to solidify the fact in his brain. Even though he'd thought at the time that he was marrying Heero, in the end, he hadn't actually been going through with a wedding.

Not real.

He was wearing his casual clothes. He must have changed out of his dress clothes and back into the ones he'd shown up in, but had no memory of doing so. Duo let Quatre drive him back to the apartment which he shared with Heero.

What did "sharing a house" even mean anymore?

He'd been used. Not real! Not real!

"Wait here," he'd told Quatre.

"In the car?"

"Yeah, I'll just be a minute then you can take me to the airport."

"What? Are you all right?"

"Just wait!"

"I thought it was Heero who had the next mission?"

Duo shrugged. Let Quatre think anything he wanted, as long as he waited. He had no leftover energy to waste on figuring out Quatre. "Five minutes, okay?"

"Okay. I have calls to make. I can make them from here as well as anyplace." Quatre's had trailed off mentioning "hospital", but Duo had no interest in anything at the moment except escaping this world.

Duo stalked into the apartment, scanning the room. He found the envelope marked "honeymoon" where he'd left it on the counter. He removed one ticket and shoved it into a pocket. Next he stomped into the spare room where "his" things had been stashed, found the bag he'd packed, a new one, jammed a few more clothes inside and returned to the kitchen.

He fired up his laptop and connected to the Preventers database. He'd never considered quitting before, so it took him a few moments to find the right documents. He filled out the form and sent a file to the printer. Before the ink was dry, he'd penned his signature to the proper line.

Before leaving the apartment, he removed the key to the door and mailbox, left them beside the envelope containing the other ticket. If Heero cared. If he ever had cared… God that hurt more than anything else, thinking that Heero never had loved him. That their wedding had only been a pretense all along. That it had never meant to be!

He'd _never _loved him!

Duo wiped his eyes, determined not to break down yet. Not yet.

He closed the door behind him. Someday he'd come back for his things.

Quatre was watching him load the back seat with his travel bag. "Going somewhere?" he asked.

"Yeah. Heero can figure out where I've gone with no problem. Here." Duo stuffed the resignation form beside his friend's briefcase.

"What's that?"

"Give it to Une, when you get the chance. I'm quitting."

He was met with the expected surprise, the why, which Duo didn't reply to, and the arguments against taking rash action for any reason. Quatre had had plenty to say, but he hadn't listened and couldn't recall any of the warnings, advice, or sympathy. He remained mute all the way to the airport, that way he didn't break down. Duo was afraid that once he got talking he'd fall apart.

"Didn't you hear me? Duo, say something!"

"This is my airline," Duo said as they rolled past the terminal departure gates. "Thanks for the lift."

"Duo, I don't understand why you can't stay and let me help you deal with this, but I can see you intend to go regardless of what I say. Call me when you're ready to talk, okay?"

"Yeah. Sure. When I can talk about being the only one present at my own damn wedding that didn't know it was a fucking sham, I'll call you."

Quatre's eyes widened with the shock of his words. His mouth opened to protest, but Duo had his bag in hand, back turned, heading for the airport entrance. It was all he could do not to cry or put a fist through the glass window.

(o)

There had been a take-off, a flight, a landing, a taxi to the resort, but Duo had slept through most of it and forgotten the rest by the time he parked his single bag at the reservation desk.

"Duo Maxwell. I have a reservation. Actually, I have several…"

"Yes, we have reservations for two for the honeymoon suite," the resort employee greeted Duo.

"As you can see, it's just gonna be me, so maybe you can save me some money and crank me down to the simplest room with the lowest rate?"

Duo wasn't about to tell the sordid tale of his recklessness and Heero's deception, and the ultimate "left at the altar" story, so he made up a believable one and gave the woman the brief "change of heart" story and instantly gained her complete sympathy.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Maxwell. This happens more often than you'd think. We actually have a consolation package put together for just this sort of thing."

He thought that was the saddest thing he'd heard. "Common event, huh?"

"Yes, and one of the couple comes to recover from what failed to happen or to celebrate the near miss of a bad thing."

"Yeah. A little of both for me. So, what's the consolation prize?"

"You can stay the night in the suite, free of charge, and as many days as you want at this reduced price in this room." She showed him the simple room picture.

"Sounds good to me. I won't be staying long, though. I just quit my IT job at Preventers and I don't know how long I'll be living off savings."

The next day, he was approached by the resort manager. Apparently the resort corporate office was changing over its old, independent computer system to a new, worldwide shared one. It merged reservations with supply ordering and security, very complicated. Seeing that Mr. Maxwell had been head of the technical department at his Preventers central office (information Duo hadn't remembered passing on but he tended to jabber and must have when he'd made the reservations… or maybe it was his "left at the altar" story?) and hearing that he was recently out of work, would he be interested in learning more?

Duo was. By the afternoon he had a new job. Temporary one. The change-over should be complete in six months or so. Good enough for a start. Duo looked up a janitor and asked about places to stay. He picked the right man and got the story of the islands, the places to eat or to avoid and a few places to live on the cheap.

Before the weekend was over, Duo had moved to his new home with his new job on his island retreat. Alone and in charge of his life. He made friends who showed him the ropes, where to eat, and how to relax.

An asylum could be either a refuge or a place of madness, depending on how he adjusted.

When disturbing thoughts threatened to mess with his new-found tranquility, he pushed them back. God, it was a good thing he no longer had access to his Deathscythe—what a mess of things he could make!

This was just another version of run-and-hide, with one long-distance run and no actual hiding, but the past he couldn't change, while the future was his. What good came of wondering about the people he once knew, and why they seem to have forgotten him? Used and thrown away with the rest of the garbage.

No! Stop with the stupid, fucking, destructive thoughts. Get a grip.

Still.

Why had he not questioned Heero's sudden interest, his insistence that they gulp, marry after only a date? Why had he done it? _Why had I?_ What was wrong with me? Had he just dreamed of such a transcendent passion... two of them... simultaneously concurrent with each other?

Stop that immediately!

Duo couldn't forget, but he could put it off. He had nothing but time now.

And Wufei Chang to entertain.

(o) Wufei Pov

He'd tried calling Duo's cell phone repeatedly, but he hadn't taken any of his calls. Disappointed but not surprised, Wufei decided to chase after him, half way around the world to the remote resort near Fiji. If Duo didn't want to see him, he could tell him to his face, simple as that.

Now, he had only to wait to see that face, one he missed, and wondered if he had the guts to tell him how he felt, if he ever could. It would depend on Duo's state of mind, of course.

Wufei snarled at some street kids, sending them away, and wondered again if coming after Duo hadn't been a bit rash. _Obviously_, it had; no one had to tell him that, but it had also been the right thing to do, he felt absolutely sure. He'd _had_ to do something.

The injustice!

Tearing apart their friends- starting with Barton and Winner and leaving Yuy to the last, where he could linger over a torturous death- had been his first choice of possible retaliations. Destroying Commander Une's office held a close second act of vengeance he considered. In the end, he passed on the felonious deeds; instead, he chose to reprimand them, _everyone,_ up and down, left and right. Let them ruminate upon that!

Doing more was unnecessary; they weren't worth the time and trouble of enlightenment. Duo was the one in need, and this was his chance to make a difference and gain Duo's notice.

In his head, he practiced what he would say to Duo. He had used for reference what the head of the Long clan had said to him, what had been his last words to him, in fact. He had heard many speeches in his time, but none had stuck with him like this one, possibly more because he'd been so young and impressionable at the time, rather than for any lasting benefit it might have had on him.

"I offer you my condolences on the death of your wife. There is no nobler death than dying for one's country. She made the ultimate sacrifice and now is worthy of our highest regard. It is my hope that you find courage and strength to bear the responsibility and take her place and fight."

Wufei could recall clearly how he'd felt at the time—confused and guilty and afflicted with suffering he had no words for nor knew how to resolve.

He was shocked at having held a person in his arms until she'd drawn her last breath. He'd never seen death up close before. They'd been too young at the time to know romantic love, but he had admired and respected her immensely. He couldn't properly grieve for her; he was called on to act immediately. Nothing anyone had said to him helped him deal with his anguish and all he was going through. That he remembered clearly now, ten years later.

So, then, how would the words of his people, long dead now, be of any use to easing the pain of Duo Maxwell? No matter what he said, it was liable to be be too much. Wufei was completely aware of all his shortcomings and faults as well as his strengths and gifts. He knew he had the tendency to go overboard and become preachy at times. He vowed not to do that. Let Duo vent instead. That sounded wise.

Better still would be to steer clear of mentioning all the people they knew in common, since any or all had some connection to the sorry affair. Wufei planned especially to avoid talking about Yuy, since he had nothing good to say about him and certainly didn't want Duo to feel as if he needed to come to his defense.

He wouldn't tell Duo he understood how he felt. How could he, never having been in his shoes before? He wouldn't dare mock the man by suggesting such a thing. Nor would he expressing the opinion that he thought Duo had been granted a reprieve or tell him "you must be relieved that the ordeal has ended" or "you are free now to start over"—none of these would go down well, he suspected. Although there might be some truth to these statements, a lot, to Wufei's mind, Duo might not be ready to agree.

He should say nothing. That would be best.

As if Duo would allow him to get away with that!

The more he thought over his opening remarks, the more cognizant he became that Duo would not hold with empty words. Duo was not tight with his feelings. His face reflected how he felt, when he allowed it. Wufei knew the man had suffered deeply in his life, and imagined that he loved deeply as well.

He'd need compassion. Sympathy was what people gave when someone needed empathy. Acting the way I usually do, Wufei decided, would be the best way to show sympathy towards his friend. Duo could always let him know if he needed anything else.

That still didn't leave him with much to say.

Being a glutton for punishment, Wufei looked at his reflection in the side mirror of his rental car. Dear God, was that the face of a man making an absolute fool of himself, or what?

And then, there he was in the mirror! Duo coming up from behind! God he was beautiful!

There was no chance of his backing out of this now. It took every ounce of strength Wufei had not to leap into Duo's arms and kiss him madly. That would not have been a good idea. Not only unseemly in such a public location, but Duo was recovering from a terrible shock and break up. And of course he had no idea how Duo felt about him.

And since he believed a man must mask his feelings, he betrayed no vulgar astonishment. As his throat tightened from excitement, so as to make any opening remark impossible without sounding like a family of frogs had taken up residence around his vocal cords, he greeted Duo with civil nonchalance, while his heart sank into his shoes, where it damn well belonged.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Duo took a long drink of his juice and looked over his friend again. Travel worn, but overall glowing with health, Wufei had never looked so good, but then Duo had never taken the time to get a good look at him lately, and certainly not get to know him. "How long have you been here?" he asked.

Wufei stared back and made no move to locate his own timepiece. "What, ahem," he sipped at his drink and attempted to clear his throat again, "What time is it?"

Duo turned on his cell phone and read the time off the glowing face. "About five PM."

"I've been here an hour and a half," Wufei said.

"You _just _arrived then?" Well, that explained the man's hoarse voice. Breathing airplane air for the better part of a day had nearly killed him. The poor dude needed some downtime, for sure. "Where ya staying?"

"Any suggestions?" Wufei shouldered his travel bag. "This is everything."

"If you like the idea of sleeping in a hammock under a palm leaf roof, then I've got the place for you."

"What's the weather like?"

"This, a bit cooler around dawn, but it's warm day and night."

Wufei tossed back the dregs from his juice. "Thank you. The hammock sounds delightful."

"It's cool and rustic." Duo smiled. "You might wanna come take a look first. I'm not offering you much of a place."

Wufei didn't seem to care by the wave of his hand. "You've gone native then?"

"As much as possible."

Wufei leaned closer over the table. "Happy?"

"Are you?" Duo couldn't look him in the eye when he said that. "I'm getting past everything."

"That's … commendable… really."

Duo figured that Wufei had embarrassed himself by talking about such a personal sore point. "So, my home is in this direction. It's a stroll away. Everything is. Or I use the bus. Haven't needed a car since I landed here, not that I have one."

"I have a rental car."

"Just send it back. I can call them and they will pick it up."

"Fine."

"Where is it now?"

Wufei pointed out a small parking lot a few streets down. After a brief phone conversation, they walked over to the car and waited for a rental agency employee to arrive.

"We got about half an hour, so get comfortable." Duo scooted himself up onto the back of the car hood. Wufei did the same. "Let's say you'd picked the wrong place to go looking for me, what were you planning to do next?" Duo asked.

"Go back and start a search, but I knew I was right."

"Oh, yeah?" Duo grinned. "I'm not complicated, you think?"

"You left the other ticket at your apartment," Wufei reminded him.

"His apartment. Not mine. I'm just storing stuff in a room… for a while."

"Yuy's apartment, then. That wasn't the point."

"You were inside?"

"Yes, I was. I made him open the door. I was sure you'd left a note. Winner told me he'd tried calling you, but you wouldn't answer."

Duo shrugged indifferently.

"He also said that you'd told him Heero would know where to find you. Yuy claimed he knew no more than the rest of us, so I looked around."

"Heh, bet 'Ro loved you doing that."

"Not particularly, but I discovered the ticket on a bookshelf and made him explain where it had come from."

Duo's smile dropped. He stuffed his hands in his cargo shorts' pockets and studied where his feet stepped. The bastard could have made the trip, come to see Duo, and made everything turn out right. Heero hadn't though. He hadn't cared, and that hurt.

"I asked if he thought you'd taken the other ticket and he said-," Wufei closed his mouth and frowned, his eyes scrutinizing the horizon line. A city bus stopped at the corner.

Duo traced his line of sight, studying the people getting off the bus, and guess that he was watching for the rental attendant to get off.

"It doesn't matter what he said," Wufei continued. "I took his ticket and had it changed over to my name. I took off a day to think about what I would do. Here comes our man!" He slid off the car, offered a hand to Duo, who didn't take it, and signaled the car rental agency employee to join them.

"And here you are," Duo completed for him.

"Here I am. The hotel reservations were in the envelope with the plane ticket, which is how I ended up in the parking lot across the street from it."

"And you thought I'd still be here? It's been two months."

"I didn't get back from that damned African mission until a few days ago," Wufei closed his eyes, while making another midsentence course correction. "I didn't expect you to be burning through your savings, wasting money on a posh hotel-."

"I might have," Duo argued, just to argue. "So, are you gonna tell me how you tracked me down?"

"Obviously you wanted to be found," Wufei said. "No magic, Duo. I used your cellphone ID locator and waited."

"Oh. Yeah. Well. I didn't make it too hard in case someone wanted to find me."

"Someone did." Wufei gave him a meaningful look.

Before Duo could deny that, the man from the agency joined them. Wufei had already removed his single bag from the back seat, so he simply returned the keys, and had the contract voided. They were done.

"That's that. Now, what were we doing?" Duo asked, joking. "Oh, yeah, checking out the hammocks."

Wufei smiled and shouldered his rucksack. "Can I put dinner on that to-do list?"

"Okay, but _after_ I show you my digs."

Duo led him out of the resort and business district a short distance to where the shanty town began. All along the beach the other village lay tucked under palms well out of the tidal zone. The ramshackle huts (one had to think of them like that not as houses) were small and made from found pieces: a sheet of aluminum siding served as a roof on one, a row of old surfboards provided siding on another. Besides sharing the general appearance of derelict housing, all the structures sported wide, covered porches with hanging hammocks. Some had bright rugs, a cat, or small tables for additional decoration.

When Duo stopped in front of one, Wufei asked, "Did you build your own?"

"Ha! No, I'm renting it for a pittance. Those that can, pay, and if you can't you work clean up and repair crew. Pretty self-sufficient, for city-owned and run units."

They entered the hut and Wufei dropped his bag alongside boxes which appeared to serve as Duo's clothes closet. "That door's to the bathroom with running water and it's tied to the city sewer."

"Not bad," Wufei muttered. "Simple. We really only need the basics."

"Yeah, it doesn't get more basic than this and still be hygenic." Duo smiled out at the ocean view, rolling over in his mind the "we" Wufei had used, liking the warm sound of it. "They're sturdier than you'd think and easy to fix after a storm." Duo pointed out the palm leaf porch covering on the way back outside. "Takes the wind pretty good."

"I don't see a kitchen. You don't cook?"

"Not here. They allow fires in the rock rings out there. See them? In the sand? If fire got loose in here, the entire place would go up."

"Wise. What do you prepare… out there?"

"You like fish, dontcha?"

"I do."

"Then you'll be a happy camper here. C'mon. Time to collect dinner."

"We have to catch our own fish?" Wufei asked, horrified.

"We _could_, but no. The market's open for a few more hours and the fishermen… This is fun!" Duo felt lighter, enjoying his chance to show off his new home.

Small fishing boats hauled up onto the light sandy shores formed a colorful line and brimmed with silvery fish. Duo went directly to one and pointed out two on top. The fishmonger wrapped the fish in a leaf and exchanged the parcel and a warm smile for Duo's money.

"Now, the other direction. You can see the farmers' market under the banners."

"I saw it earlier when I was parking. Will they have rice?"

"Let me count the ways," Duo said with laugh. He liked laughing again. He felt fortified already. "Fried rice, yellow rice, steamed plain, and loads of other kinds. And stuff to put on it, you know, veggies. There'll be fruit. Scads of that. Kinds I never heard of."

"I wouldn't think you had many selections on L2."

"And you'd be right. Same things year round. Apples, oranges and bananas. Oh, and lemons, but they don't count for eating." Duo kicked at a rift of sand. "How about L5? You grow your own fruit?"

"Yes, we did. Not I. I was a boy and of… It wasn't my job."

"What was?"

"Well, I was a scholar and in marital arts training. My father was head of our clan."

"So you were like… a prince!"

"_Something_ like that." Wufei mimicked Duo's tone and smiled.

They bought their side dishes and took their fish to one of the fire pits. There a man was handling all the preparations. Duo gave him the fish packets and a bottle of local beer with lemon, which acted as payments for the cooking service.

Minutes later, Duo joined Wufei at folding chairs and a small table with the steaming fish. Wufei took a bite and declared: "Now I eat like a prince. This is delicious."

Duo stopped for two more of the lemon beers on their trip back toward his house. "We'll drink these on the beach and watch the sunset. Tradition. We'll need a few things first."

"After only two months, 'tradition' might be a bit premature. Ritual, maybe."

Duo collected a couple woven reed mats and towels rolled neatly inside. "It's my tradition, okay? Ritual sounds… creepy. I got everything, so down to the shore we go." He flicked a switch and tiny fairy lights sparkled dimly around the door.

"Do all the places have them?" Wufei asked.

"Yeah, you'll see."

Nature worked the sunset and clouds like magic, distributing colors from violet blue through pinks and magenta to reds and oranges, all across the sky.

"Spectacular." Wufei tasted his drink, stretched out his legs and watched the show play across the heavens.

"Yeah, it's pretty chill. Like picture-book visions of paradise." Duo gulped his beer, finishing it quickly. "Here come the torches! They light up the shoreline for a few hours so folks can stroll. It's darker here, so when the sun goes down we can go swimming."

"In the dark? Is it safe?"

"I guess. So far it is. Lots of others go out. Never seen a shark. I think they sleep. Anyway, there'll be light enough. You'll see."

As it grew dark, Duo stood and stretched.

"Where do we change?" Wufei asked.

"Heh. Right here. It is dark," Duo said with a laugh. He had figured this comment would shock his reserved friend, who he'd always suspected of being very inhibited. "Not that I'm an exhibitionist, but the locals do it."

Duo stripped quickly and dashed out into the shallow warm water. To his surprise, splashing followed him. Wufei broke the surface, spouting water.

"Refreshing!"

"Yeah," Duo chuckled back.

"I'm not certain how much I like the feeling of—"

"The exposure?" Duo suggested. He could feel, rather than see Wufei's burn.

"I was thinking of sand getting into delicate places."

"Oh, that. Yeah. You can shower off in the hut when we get back."

"Won't you?" Wufei asked him.

"In the morning. I can use the sun to dry my hair."

They swam around a little, stretching muscles and using the warm water to relax. When Duo headed back to the clothes and towel pile, he noticed Wufei hung back to give him privacy. He had a towel secured at his waist by the time Wufei was near and he turned away to look at the line of huts.

"Can you spot mine?" Duo asked.

"Ha! You mean, can I not miss the one with 'Maxwell' spelled out on the roof?'" Wufei added a snort to punctuate his amusement.

"Excellent powers of observation."

Back at the porch, Duo arranged the second hammock, hanging it properly and tossing on a few giant towels. "Those are dry. Just put your wet things over the railing on that side and they'll be dry eventually."

"I won't need more blankets?"

"Nope. You'll be throwing off these by morning, if it's not cloudy."

Duo demonstrated getting into the hammock without flipping, and they both turned in. There was no talk of what to wear to sleep in. Duo wore nothing and Wufei, apparently, slept nude also; at least, he didn't go inside to his travel bag.

This is nice, Duo thought to himself. He wondered at how comfortable he felt just hanging there with no conversation between them. He was grateful not to have to talk about what had happened to bring them both to this place of peace. Someday, he'd ask about the mission details. Or not.

There was one important detail to pin down, and if he kept asking the question, eventually he'd get the complete answer.

"What made you come here?" Duo asked.

He listened to Wufei's tempered breathing in the dark, his hammock swaying ever so slightly.

"I didn't want you to think you…were alone."

He didn't want me to suffer here alone, Duo thought, but kept it to himself. "Thanks for coming," he whispered.

"My pleasure," was all he heard his friend say in response, and it was enough. The breeze blew, rustling the palm fronds. The surf pounded in the far distance. What more did he need to hear?

(o) Wufei's pov

Wufei had a terrible time falling asleep. Even the sound of Duo's soft drowsy murmurings and the white noise surf couldn't reset his internal clock. But he must have dropped off eventually, because he awoke in the morning. The sun angle was all wrong and then he remembered where he was: on an island with Duo, although the hammock beside him was empty.

He successfully dismounted the swaying bed contraption without falling on his head, and found the bathroom about ten strides inside the hut Duo called his house. The mirror was still steamed over, which indicated that Duo had showered and left already.

He felt a little cloud of disappointment settle over him, but pushed it away immediately. It was nice of Duo to leave a clean towel and to give him a few minutes of privacy, Wufei decided.

His rucksack sat by the door. He rummaged through it for clean underwear and t-shirt and a toothbrush. He didn't need a shave, but cleanliness would feel superb.

He emerged refreshed and decidedly hungry. After a quick search of the premises for Duo, with no sighting, he remained in the doorway and scanned the shoreline. He liked how he could see right through the house to the ocean.

People dotted the edges of his vision, moving away into the distance or closing in, but his attention focused on the figure at the water's edge combing out miles and miles of brown, wavy hair. Duo.

He licked his lips. His mouth had gone dry as the drought-stricken land he'd flown over leaving his last job for Preventers. He needed Duo on some keenly-felt primal level.

"Beautiful." The word passed his lips before he could stop it. No one would confuse _that _striking bodywith a woman's - the cut chest, the well-rounded shoulders, and slim hips. Only the hair. Glistening hair. Shaking it to one side. Combing the tips. Shaking it side to side. Oh, yes.

More.

Duo had told him he had to cover up most of the day (sigh…too bad). He hadn't discovered any sun lotions that sufficiently protected his thin L2-influenced skin. If he wanted to go shirtless, then he would have to take advantage of the early morning and evenings.

Wufei vowed, with one foot in the sand and one still on the porch, to make certain he never overslept and rose in time to enjoy this view. He closed his eyes making sure the image of Duo was well sealed in his memory. There had to be some protective lotion that would do the job, available only by prescription? He'd look that up.

When he next opened his eyes ( was it 20 seconds? 30 at most!), the picture playing out on the beach had taken a dramatic move forward. Duo had been joined by a boy, or young man.

"Damn these ageless natives. He could be 12 or 30!" Wufei grumbled. Boy or man, he had to investigate this turn of events.

His first impulse was to intercept the stranger in case he intended Duo harm. Wufei took out after him, heedless of how unprepared he was to take on attackers. He stopped halfway to his target to reassess. He spat out a tendril of hair which he hadn't tied back while it dried; he was barefoot, bare-chested, and weaponless— but so was the stranger. That he could best the boy, or man, he had no doubts at all.

But… re-evaluating… from the hand on arm contact and Duo's grin, this was no unfamiliar person. Wufei could stand down.

But… re-re-evaluating… No! Duo had already found a lover! Actual pain nearly caused him to crumple inward. Had he blundered into an intimate meeting? How stupid he was not to consider that a sexy, handsome man like Duo wouldn't have attracted dozens of lovers by this time?

I should go. His feet continued forward though as if drawn inevitably toward Duo. I'll say good bye and _then_ go, he decided.

"Hey, 'Fei! Great come on over and meet Jiko. He taught me the ropes here when I was a newbie."

Ropes? Wufei shook Jiko's hand, but he couldn't smile while pondering the entire range of possible rope tricks one could be taught. "My name is Chang Wufei. Thank you for looking after Duo. It was very thoughtful of you." You can go now. I am here.

Jiko grinned at him as if he'd said those last bits aloud. "Chang? Chinese? Duo told me he was waiting for someone." He waggled a finger at Wufei. "You took a long time, almost too long! Ha!"

Before he could object, and Wufei wanted to correct the man's faulty impression (He was not Yuy!), Duo started calling out to another young man to join them. "Joni! Better claim your boyfriend here!"

Wufei relaxed several notches. Whatever Duo and Jiko had had, it was brief. _And over_.

Joni and Jiko greeted each other with a quick kiss and held hands. Duo started telling them about his plans for the day, but Jiko proposed a different idea.

"Take Chang kayaking. He looks fit." Jiko winked Wufei's way.

What a flirt! Kayaking, however, did sound fun. "Is that possible?" he directed toward Duo.

"Yep! Cheap and easy. Just like me, heh, heh." Duo joked, but Wufei didn't like him putting himself down that way.

"You are a person worth treasuring," Wufei said, putting his feelings out there as succinctly as possible.

Duo sputtered. Joni laughed and pounded Wufei on the back. "Stop staring at my boyfriend like you want to kill him."

Wufei had to mentally scream at himself not to break the offending arm. "I was not-!"

"A jealous lover, my Duo, be careful!" Jiko warned, laughing as his dragged his boyfriend out of reach. "Carlos and Sinka give the best deals on rentals—remember!"

"Thanks!" Duo waved back. Clearly, he'd been embarrassed as much as Wufei had. His skin was pink… or… burning.

"Duo, you should get out of the sun," Wufei warned.

"Oh, yeah, thanks. Forgot, with all the excitement and all."

All the excitement. _And all. _Jealous boyfriend! Not I!

Duo looked at him and smiled. "Nice hair. Grown it out. I hadn't noticed just how much. Waist length? Almost, yeah."

Wufei had forgotten how he must have looked. He'd only been here one day and already he was going native! His hand swept back his hair into a ponytail. He regretted not having a tie for it. "Yes. I'm too busy to cut it."

"Don't."

Silently, Wufei vowed never to cut his hair. _Never_, as long as Duo looked at him that way.

He could feel the lovely warmth of his hand where it had touched his head for a long while after.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

"When you are going through a rough spell," Duo said, "what keeps you, I don't know, from falling apart?"

"Grow through the struggle and turmoil; it's the only way to progress forward." Wufei lowered the kayak he'd been carrying and set it afloat beside Duo's. "A poem. I studied literature in college and have a head full of nonsense, but that one seemed apropos."

"Poem, huh? Not much of one."

"Haiku. It's all in the form. Forget it."

"I don't know. I like the 'progress forward' advice."

"It is better than going backwards." Wufei's smile seemed hesitant, or shy, like sighting a rare bird; one moment and it's gone.

"True, and since I've learned so much from my mistakes, I think I'll make a few more," Duo quipped. He liked Wufei's smile. He liked to see it. He was beginning to see it more and more and wondered if it was mostly for him.

"Duo, knotty issues are knotty issues, and not all have been resolved."

"Isn't that the truth?" Duo smiled back. "You've made your life more complicated, coming here."

Wufei didn't argue. When asked, he wouldn't tell him what had happened back at the Preventers headquarters, what Wufei had said to Une and his fellow agents before quitting. That was looking backwards to things he couldn't change; it was the future he focused on. It was advice Duo would be wise to follow. Duo might even feel he should agree, but he wanted more from Wufei, a stripping down to the soul sort of thing. Instead, Duo watched as he made another one of his dismissive hand gestures.

_Not this time_, Duo thought. "It's the adman's promise that you can change your life with a product," he said. "What are you selling? Why did you come here?" To his surprise, Duo hadn't annoyed his friend with his harsh line of questioning.

Wufei's smile went all dreamy-like. "I thought: life is very short and you don't know when you will see someone again."

That threw Duo for a loop. What did he mean by that? He wondered if Wufei, maybe, had a girlfriend back home he was missing?

"I'm sorry if coming here made you leave someone special behind," Duo said, thinking he nailed the problem, but Wufei's expression became one of supreme frustration, and he knew he had taken the wrong track.

"What? Not at all. I left nothing behind," Wufei snapped defensively, and struck the water hard as he paddled ahead.

_Nothing? Not your career, home, friends?_ Wufei must have liked him- a_ lot-_ to have made the move he had.

"You are sure not leaving _me_ behind!" Duo shouted and plied the brackish water with his own paddle and sent his kayak skimming out in front. "You don't know where we're going."

"That I don't," he agreed. Wufei didn't often leave an argument so readily.

So, Duo determined, they weren't ready to talk about why Wufei was really drawn to the island to see Duo. Not quite yet. Duo took them in and out of pools, calm streams, and across a few lagoons. No falls or rocky rapids. "Class five is more work and more likely to end up with someone dead," Duo chattered on about the route possibilities.

"I've no need to risk life or limb for excitement anymore," Wufei agreed.

He'd become terribly agreeable, Duo thought, in his old age. He had the sense not to say that aloud.

A stone wall rose from a jumble of what appeared to be abandoned buildings. "Turn in here," Duo shouted.

They paddled into the cove and dragged their kayaks out of the river and onto the sandy shoreline.

Lunch was purchased at the small village when they got out and stretched their legs. There were a few tables outside a low building which overlooked the stream they'd been kayaking. While waiting for their simple orders to arrive, Duo and Wufei watched workers repairing the crumbling road. A few were in the water securing new timbers preparatory to doing some bridgework.

"Something's wrong. Look!" Wufei pointed at the agitated-looking men in the water.

Then the serving boy from the restaurant appeared at their table. . "Big storm!"

He plucked at Duo's wrist and insisted that they come inside the small building immediately. Wufei pushed him away and demanded to know what was going on, and then the rain hit.

Water and rocks were literally pouring down the sides of the pit and filling it. The workers were yelling at each other to get out of there as you could hear the rocks hitting the scaffolding below. The scene was surreal.

"C'mon!" Duo yanked on Wufei's arm and they dashed to assist any trapped workers.

They helped the last two men up the slippery side; the rest were already running for cover. Their help hadn't been needed, but it was in their blood. Good deed done, the pair rushed for cover.

Wufei peered out the dirty window, feeling muddy and more than a little damp. "I can't believe how it went from sunny to pouring rain."

"And filling the river so quickly. Yeah it's covering the rocks there," Duo confirmed. "You can actually see the river rising. Just look at that muddy water pouring over the hill side! Like it was right out of _Indiana Jones_!"

"Who?"

"Um… an adventure movie. We'll download it later and you'll see."

Duo's cell buzzed and made him jump. No one called him. Work occasionally, but not on his day off. "It's Quatre."

"Talk to him, Duo," Wufei advised, gently.

It was the look in his eyes, compassionate and warm, that convinced Duo to do as he said. "Hey," he answered.

"Duo? Is that you? Really? At last! This is Quatre."

"Quat? Yeah. You'll have to talk louder. There's a humongous downpour banging on an aluminum roof."

"Well, that answers my second question. It sounds like you're under attack."

"It feels like it. So, I'm doing okay, if that's what you wanted to know."

"Yes. Good. I felt so bad and," Quatre said, his voice becoming somber and signaling the next news was the kind that should be conveyed in quiet tones, "Louisa hadn't been well."

Louisa was Quatre's wife of three years. They'd been trying to conceive a child by the natural method, but had had the difficulties often found on the Lagrange point colonies, even though she had moved to earth when the two had married. Last Duo had heard, she was three months in and doing just fine.

"She's okay now, though, right?" Duo could hear the strain in his friend's voice despite the storm and artificialness phones transferred. His eyes met Wufei's, drawing him in closer for support as he mouthed 'Louisa'.

"Oh, yes, she's home from the hospital now, but—"

The stretch of silence alerted Duo even more to something being very wrong. "Quat, what is it? We didn't lose connection, did we?"

"I've been so preoccupied, that's why… why I didn't notice what was going on!"

"What are you talking about?" Duo asked. _Hospital_, he mouthed again!

Wufei folded his arms across his chest and leaned closer.

"I'm just so sorry I couldn't be there for you when that… mission was going down. I should have noticed … well, the effect it was having on you."

_Oh, that._ Duo didn't know how Quat could have missed it, but, well…yeah. "Water under the bridge, bro'," Duo said, trying to dismiss the past. What was done, was done. Couldn't change it, no matter what Quat's involvement had been, intentional or not. Obviously, there were limits to friendship and in this case, circumstances had pushed past them, he guessed. It really was time to patch his heart move ahead. "So, tell me about the hospital—"

But Quatre wasn't done. He hadn't said what he needed to, regardless of the fact that Duo didn't want to talk about it. "That day—"

Duo thought he heard choked sobs, but the rain pounded on the roof making it sound like he was camping out in a bass drum during a Queen performance—or something. "- Quat—"

"I thought you knew! I thought maybe Heero really meant it! I hoped you'd make something of it all later… after… And then when I dropped you at the airport, it was clear you'd been hurt badly. Oh, Duo, I'm just so sorry!"

"Yeah, well, me, too, but I'm better. Kinda over it, mostly. Fei's here, you know."

Wufei dipped his chin. He was here all right. He didn't appear to making plans to leave any time soon either, so Duo gave him a quick smile of thanks.

"Yes, he called me," Quatre said. "I'm glad he's there. He needs… this too."

Duo wasn't certain what it was _Quatre _thought Wufei needed or was getting out of his stay, except a much needed vacation. Duo felt deep down that Wufei would have second thoughts, give into pressure, which would eventually come from Commander Une, and return to his Preventers job.

"I wanted to come and find you," Quatre went on, his voicing breaking up again.

"That's okay, bud. We can't all drop what we're doing to go mollify poor Duo's hurt feelings. It's okay. I forgive you"

"I called, but you didn't answer!"

"I saw; it was nice knowing you tried, but I wasn't ready to talk about anything. I did message you back once to say I was alive and well."

"I know. That was a relief. I was so worried! I sent you emails!"

"Haven't read any. Really, Quat, until 'Fei arrived, I was pretty much ready to cut you all off. Sorry, but true."

"And I don't blame you for feeling that way. I would have, well, I don't know what I would have done if my friends had done such a horrid thing as that to me. And I should have put a stop to it but…"

"So why was Louisa in the hospital?" Duo asked, hoping to make the abrupt change of subject unmistakable to the man on the other end of the call.

"That was in the emails I sent."

It was Duo's turn to say he was sorry for ignoring them, since he now knew he'd missed something important going on; he urged Quatre to tell him what had happened.

"The pregnancy… hadn't been going well… all month, and then that day… the mission… she'd entered the emergency room the day before." Quatre cried into the phone. "We lost the baby, Duo!" Our little girl. She would have been… was a girl… Shayna, after my sister that died last year."

And there is was. Quatre had lost his first born; a personal tragedy that really and truly trumped his.

"Oh, Quat…"You shouldn't have been there at all. You should have been given the time off… Quat…" Duo offered his sincerest sympathies and gave the phone over to Wufei to do the same, while he wiped his eyes. While he'd been swooning over Heero, he had completely neglected to notice what his best friend was going through. He'd only heard what he'd wanted to; he'd missed all the clues, how his friend was struggling to get through each day.

Death and children didn't belong in the same thought. It brought back memories of young bodies riddled with disease and left to die; of the smell of burning flesh, charred bodies of children he'd lived with. No, children and death did not belong together, but Duo had them all wrapped up in his darkest memories.

He listened in to Wufei's comforting words to Quatre and let them soak in and ease his heart as well. He wondered when the man had grown so thoughtful and caring. Wufei hadn't been the pillar of compassion when he'd known him during the war. Cold and arrogant, more like. But he'd not really kept in contact over the years and people change.

Then he remembered how Wufei constantly referred to both incarnations of his Gundams as the Taoist protection deity "Nataku". His wife had called herself that, and when she died, Wufei had lost his childhood sweetheart! Wufei had been a fierce combatant descended from a long, proud line of Chinese warriors. He'd named his Gundam for her and chosen to carry out her path of justice in honor of her sacrifice. He'd fought in her name. He'd suffered a huge loss.

Suddenly, Duo had a change of perspective. His false romance, the fake marriage proposal, being abandoned at the altar had all been sad and heartbreaking, and even though it had felt real to him, it hadn't been really real. Quatre had lost a child and Wufei a wife. The losses of true love overshadowed Duo's ten-fold and more.

His viewpoint changed in a lightning bolt of realization. How self-centered he had been not to notice Quatre's suffering while he lost himself in a world of fantasy! Quatre should have known what was going on, but shouldn't Duo have picked up on his friend's unhappiness too? Duo recognized that he and Quatre had never been such close friends after all.

The rain tapered off and he took back the phone. He had a good talk with his friend, promising to keep in touch better and extending an invitation to the couple to come visit any time.

"Damn," he muttered as he ended the call. He really felt bad now.

"I had no idea what he'd been going through, either," Wufei said, "if it makes you feel any better?"

"Yeah, thanks. It's sobering—"

"Still," Wufei went on to say, "Even under the circumstances, I find it hard to believe Winner couldn't pick up on the fact that Heero's feelings were superficial, at best, had been insincere from the very start."

"He'd hoped Heero meant it," Duo countered weakly. He couldn't bring himself to admit that his _best_ friend … wasn't really.

Wufei snorted in disbelief. He wasn't letting Quatre get off the hook for leaving Duo to fend for himself, which made Duo feel all warm and gooey inside. "It must have been obvious to him that you didn't know you were being set up for target practice for a bunch of lunatic terrorists! He left you vulnerable! He should have done something; he should have known! The damn fool's some kind of an empath!"

"I don't know, 'Fei. I'm guessing that his wife's feelings took priority over mine. I'll bet my emotions didn't even filter through."

"If I had been there-!" Wufei bellowed, really starting to get into his harangue.

"Your food is ready, if you'd like to eat in here?" asked the young serving boy.

Duo was glad for the timely interruption, not that he minded seeing Wufei getting all worked up, but it might frighten the locals.

"Thanks," Duo told him. "Inside will be fine."

Duo took one wobbly chair that screeched along the floor when moved. It set his teeth on edge. Wufei carefully picked his up, avoiding the noise. They were pressed close together at the tiny metal table, so tightly fit in that Duo felt Wufei's knee lightly brush his knee with each rumble of the departing storm.

He became aware of Wufei moving his legs to sit cross-legged on his chair. How could he comfortable with his legs folded that way? It made him wonder about the man's physical flexibility. And his imagination replied, complete with video and sound. Sex with Wufei, oh yeah!

His mind put a screeching halt to that; although, it took a few minutes more for the rest of his body to behave. It had been a long, long time since he'd had a lover. Nothing had happened between him and Heero, other than a couple kisses. Now he wondered how it was possible that he could have bought into that? Maybe Heero had drugged him?

"Duo?" Wufei was offering him a towel. The serving boy had their orders resting on a side table and an armload of guest towels.

"Er, thanks." It wasn't that he was cold, he was just wet and his braid was dripping wet river water in a pool at his feet. He took the offering and tied up his hair and then took another to sit on, and another to drape over his shoulders.

"I might miss the changing seasons, if I was into them," Duo said as he looked down at his noodle bowl.

"The changing seasons may have both positive and negative effects."

"No kidding," Duo remarked with a roll of his eyes.

Wufei shrugged and looked a little embarrassed to have wasted his breath on such trivial banter.

"What is it about weather that makes people talk about it so much?" Duo quipped to cover for his case of sudden nerves.

"Filler." Wufei chose a pair of chopsticks and tested his food. "The labor that goes into the dish hardly pays off in the eating." Wufei observed, but that was the sum total of their conversation.

Duo decided that something was bothering his friend and that now was not the time to press him for particulars. He wasn't feeling very talkative either.

And then the rain stopped as suddenly as it had begun with the heat of the sun bearing down.

They ate quickly as the food had lost its flavor in spite of its careful arrangement on the plates. They left a tip and then gathered their equipment together. Duo's craft had washed a few hundred feet away and Wufei's was partly filled with water.

"So, do we go on or-?" Wufei asked. The invitation to continue on sounded, to Duo, to be at best half-hearted. He lifted one side of his kayak and let the grimy water drain out.

"We go back," Duo said. He adjusted the brim of his hat and rolled down his sleeves to protect his arms. "In view of… that… and I have work tomorrow, believe it or not."

"That's right. You said you did. Will I see you?"

"If you're not sick of my face by that time, heh, heh. Sure. Meet me at the hotel at noon," Duo said. "We'll do lunch."

Wufei cracked a smile at Duo's lame joke and even lamer "cute" pose. "Lead the way home, then," he said, pushing off the shore.

By the time they returned the kayaks, it was time to roll into Duo's nightly ritual and choose their dinners. Amazingly, they had worked up appetites again.

Clams served with a baguette for sopping and spoon for slurping was their shared choice. They sopped up and gulped down. Wufei seemed lost in thought. Thinking to leave him in peace, Duo turned to check the time on his phone. And again. After a few minutes of watching Wufei poised in silence, he'd had enough. "Fish got your tongue?" Duo asked.

Wufei shook his head.

"'Fei? Spill. You really aren't good at keeping secrets."

"I certainly am! Just… not good at hiding them from you, apparently. All right. I've been in contact with Preventers. No! Get that look off your face. I was not looking for my job back. I was researching."

"Oh, yeah?"

"I told you I would get to the bottom of what happened and get formal apologies."

"It's not necessary…"

"It is. Now, do you want to hear what I have to say, or not?"

"If I said "not" would you drop it?"

"I… I would. I would keep the information to myself, anyway."

Duo grinned. This guy was amazing. Quatre would have forced the information on him for his own good, probably. "All right. Go ahead. Fill me in."

"I knew you had the strength of character to deal with the situation," Wufei muttered in a way that made it hard for Duo to hear. That meant if it was in any way complimentary, he could pretend not to have heard it.

"When did you have time to do this today anyway?" Duo asked, curious.

"Winner asked for something he could do when we talked earlier. He just sent me back a few answers."

"I see; Quat's working through his guilt. Okay, so what questions?"

"I had asked why you and Heero were chosen, why anyone would have done as a couple instead."

"It had to be meeee…" Duo warbled an old tune.

"It had to be ex-Gundam pilots, the flashier and more easily recognized the better to draw the attackers. Yuy was convinced he was the preferred target."

"He would. The universe revolves around him, you know," Duo said.

"It didn't begin as a wedding event. Before I had walked into that one meeting and heard about their appalling plan, I believe Merquise suggested a ball at the palace, but the commander told the planning committee that Miss Relena refused to put any of the priceless paintings and building ornamentation at risk."

Duo shook his head. He just loved how Relena had her priorities straight. "Not to mention guests?"

"There was no mention of guests." Wufei met Duo's smile with one of his own. "No one admits to have come up with the wedding theme, so it was likely a decision from the commander."

"Yeah," Duo felt a bit sick.

"The terror plot was moving fast, apparently, and so Heero was allowed to take charge of much of the planning stages."

"Figures. Not his forte." Duo shook his head. "And now we know why Quat wasn't leading the team. Poor guy."

"Trowa was in charge of the swat team that took out the snipers and never was involved with the setup end of it at all." Wufei rubbed his eyes. He looked drained. "Of course he's married. That left Heero to choose between you and me, but I was locked down fighting that hopeless insurgency raging in Nigeria."

"So he picked me. What luck, huh?"

"Everyone assumed you were in on it."

"Oh, please!" Duo moaned.

"I know, I know… They'd been ordered on pain of death, probably, not to encourage you to break character and question or tease you. Something to that effect."

"Right," Duo made a face. "I was in such a fog, believe me, I would have missed a Gundam walking me up the aisle. It just stinks."

"I agree completely. The commander should have had you in the meetings from the start and informed of what was going on."

"You know, ever since I left active field duty… she was not pleased to have me sitting behind a desk as a techno whiz."

"For that reason alone you shouldn't have been in on that job!"

"And I fell into the trap so easily. I can't get over that. I understand why, but… yeah. I was a sucker… and Heero?"

"It was all about the mission. He's an insensitive boor and…" Wufei stopped himself from further insulting Heero. "He's been informed in very clear terms by Winner just how inconsiderate and plain stupid he had been to not include you in the mission plan. I think he added how insulting it was to him as well, not being informed. Had Winner been less distracted by his personal problems, he would have… I don't know… done something… made you think… slowed things down…"

"Blown the mission," Duo muttered.

"Not if you'd known it was a fabrication! No amount of reasoning is excusable. If anyone could carry out a subterfuge, it would be you, but it shouldn't have been you at all!"

"Are you telling me that 'Ro didn't think I could play along, so he didn't inform me that it was all a charade?"

"In essence. A ludicrous plan, flawed from start to finish."

"But it worked," Duo mumbled. "Well, fuck him."

Wufei grumbled something under his breath, possibly in Chinese, then disposed of their trash. "I've already had one good drenching today. I might skip the swim tonight."

They stood on the porch of Duo's shack and looked at the towels they'd plan to reuse, the ones they'd left to dry the night before. Wufei shook his head and clicked his tongue over the clothes and towels they had hung out to dry the day before. "It rained here, too."

"Those towels never had a chance," Duo said. "I have one last bunch that's dry."

"There must be a place to wash and dry clothes nearby." Wufei glowered into the darkening distance as if he could make a Laundromat materialize by force of will alone.

"Are you offering to do it?" Duo asked. He'd been only partly joking about it. He had work to do and hated chores that messed with his free time.

"Yes, I'd be honored." He smiled, showing teeth. "Really, I've been living off of our generosity long enough. It's the least I could do. And when we go to lunch tomorrow, I need to locate a bank and cash out some credits."

"Ready to carry your share of the load? Heh, heh." _Oh, best not to toy with the dragon_, he prompted himself. His friend was looking a bit tired and tattered around the edges. "It's okay, 'Fei. You're out of work now, too. And you aren't any real additional expense—"

"Nonsense! I _can _and_ will_ pay my way. Let's hear no more about it." Wufei charged into the hut and emptied out his rucksack. Duo watched him stuff worn clothes back in. "Give me your things," Wufei barked out his orders. "I can clean everything at once."

Duo didn't argue. He jumped at the commands with a grin he tried to staunch, and set to gathering his scattered used things. He added them to the bag, punching everything down to make it all fit. "I have a laundry bag here. The wet stuff can go in there."

"Good idea."

Duo glowed from the praise, which he thought was an odd way to feel after being bossed around his own home, but didn't care. He liked Wufei, even fussy, overbearing Wu, and discovered that pleasing his friend made him feel good, too. Warm. Fuzzy. Nice.

"Here's the route to the community laundry place. Not far, just weaving back into the trees for a little ways. Can't miss it."

"I'm sure I won't. Do I need anything? Detergent? Coins for operating the machines?"

"Take the jar. They use those locally-minted tokens."

"I've seen them. Is that legal?"

You sound like a Preventer still! Duo didn't say that aloud, he shrugged it off. "Who knows? It's what passes for money at the laundry. And don't worry about paying me back. You can take us to a nice restaurant for lunch. I know a good one, not fancy, please, give me some credit. I'm not dressing up ever again! Heh, heh… well… not to eat!"

"I see. Well it appears I have at least three loads to do. That should keep me occupied while you slave over that upgrade code."

"Yeah, slave. That's me all over."

And Wufei smiled. A big smile. One Duo didn't think to read much into. He'd made Wufei smile again, so his work was done for the night. "Let's hit the sack, er… hammocks. What you say?"

"I say I'm ready to collapse."

They lay there thinking their own private last thoughts for the day, when a roar of croaking started up.

"Dear _God_, what is that?" came the plaintive cry in the dark.

"Frogs, 'Fei. It rains; they mate. Exciting life. Go to sleep."

"Frogs have it right." At least that's what Duo thought he heard Wufei say, so he chuckled.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

When he heard a commotion in the hall outside his door, Duo first checked the clock. Lunch time. He was expecting Wufei to join him. Commotion. Wufei. Yep. His man had arrived.

"What's the problem?" he asked at the door.

"The hotel security." Wufei clipped off his words. "Not important. Not as important as this." He shoved his mobile device at Duo. "If you haven't seen it, then I arrived in time."

Duo hadn't seen anything to get excited about on the early morning newsfeed. "I don't spend much time reading. I have a timetable for this upgrade. So, what'sup?"

"It…it's preposterous!" Wufei nodded at the device so Duo took it. "I can't even say it."

Duo read the short article beneath the picture of Heero Yuy, an early regulation Preventers ID, Duo guessed, from the lack of scar over his left lip. "God, the idiot!" he shouted and then laughed.

"I don't know what you find so amusing. I think it's reprehensible. Has the man no shame?"

It warmed Duo to know Wufei had immediately come to his defense, that he didn't hunt Duo out wanting explanations or to deliver him a lecture. The man believed in him; he completely believed Duo was the innocent bystander. Duo felt very good about that.

"I agree, from the outside it looks bad, but knowing him… it wasn't his idea. Has the stench of Une on it, if you ask me. Look, he didn't _say_ I gave him the, ah, the STD-"

"The bastard _implies_ you left because of… _it_… and the wedding cancelled!" Wufei blustered over his words and looked flustered.

"This makes you uncomfortable. Talking about—"

"—Yes!" Wufei stopped him mid-sentence.

Of course. What straight dude wanted to talk about or hear about gay sex? Duo had always assumed Wufei was straight. Most men were. It was the safest bet all around. The indications that he was not completely heterosexual, (a few rumors circulated the office, but without justification, Duo thought; however…sigh, and there were those looks, sigh, those smiles) Duo decided, were just his imagination interacting with his libido.

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything much," Duo tried explaining, choosing his words carefully, "except that it's not true and can't possibly have happened, and he knows it. He _knows_ it, if you get my drift."

Wufei didn't get his meaning.

"Anything is possible. Even the failure of modern medicine and inoculations. Who knows what immunizations were skipped?"

Duo grasped his arm to stop it from slamming into his jaw or knock over the computer on his desk or break something important that belonged to the hotel.

"Don't blame me for what I'm gonna say. Remember, it is your density that's making me explain."

"My… what?"

"Obtuseness. Listen up. We could not in _any_ _way_ _conceivable_ have transmitted any disease. No… transfer of fluids. Get me now, or do I need to be more specific?"

He watched his friend's face turn a dreadful shade of red. "No… I mean, yes! I mean… you and Heero never had… intimate contact?"

Talk about a prickly moment!

"Um… that's pretty damn personal, 'Fei, but considering how my personal life is non-existent these days… no. I've never…um… that is, I've done nothing that requires… um… yeah." 'Nuff said. Duo thought so. He had his back turned to Wufei by this time and was considering making a run for the door to avoid dealing with any more questions.

"I see."

When Duo did glance back to check if Wufei was still in the room, he was surprised to find his friend still there and wearing an almost-smile.

"I shouldn't be shocked to read about another rumor," Wufei said, "that Yuy contracted it from Une." Wufei had a most evil grin in place.

"You wouldn't!"

"Me? No, _I _wouldn't." Wufei abdicated the position of rumor monger. "Winner, on the other hand, is adept at that sort of thing. He may very well have something in the works already."

"But that's character defamation!"

"It was when your name was involved, too! Winner may be an employee of Preventers, but he is on the board of the Winner Corporation and two of his sisters are lawyers. He's still wallowing in guilt; you heard it in his voice I'm sure, despite his perfectly rational justification. You know, he honestly believed you and Heero had a chance and the mission would somehow bring you together. This will give him something he can do so he can feel he is atoning to you for all his transgressions."

"Well, putting it that way-"

"Duo, know this: we will not allow your good name to be ruined to cover up a dishonorable ending to a mission."

"Thank you, Wufei. You're a _real_ friend. I hate myself much less with you around."

"There's _nothing_ to hate," Wufei snapped and then smoothed the creases in his shirt as he conquered his emotions. "I'm reminded of a haiku another student wrote: If you hate yourself, then you haven't found, the parts of you that I have."

Duo's mouth fell open. He couldn't think of a single comeback worthy of the kind words. And if Duo thought he'd seen Wufei blush before, it was nothing compared to the current flush of red rising into his hair part.

"We should go to lunch, if you are allotted the single hour," Wufei said, and Duo allowed him to escape the room ahead of him.

(o)

"Laundry detail go okay?" Duo asked as he set his menu aside.

"Without a _hitch_, as they say, as _you_ say," Wufei corrected.

It amused Duo how his friend liked pointing out his use of L2-lingo, but instead of making him feel inferior, Wufei would then add the vernacular to his own, enriching his vocabulary. He wondered if he'd been a student of linguistics in college? Someday he'd delve into Wufei's educational background, when they had hours to waste.

"Glad to hear it," Duo said.

"I dropped the bags off at the hut before I came for you."

"Ah. Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Water was poured, orders taken.

"You're trying to read my mind."

Wufei shook his head and denied the allegation. "No, I'm not. I'm not an empath or a mind reader."

"You were staring as if you _could_ if you looked hard enough."

"Pardon me. What you say is right. It is bad manners to stare. I'll look elsewhere then."

He leaned back when the waitress arrived with their steaming bowls. "Thank you," he said.

Wufei was often polite, not always, but he'd learned manners, Duo noted.

Duo also observed that his eyes were still on him, studying him. "Uh, huh."

"I find that you are right in front of my eyes and… nice to admire."

Duo brushed away the compliment like he did all compliments. They made him uncomfortable when he heard them. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what motivated the other person to say those things. He'd never found an opening like that led to a good next step.

If his friend was scrutinizing him, Duo came to the conclusion that he must be deliberating, _speculating_ about how he'd react, or _would _react to something he was about to ask. He thought about all the things Wufei must be wondering about him, but was afraid to ask, and decided to end the tension.

"Don't be afraid. Ask away. Today, I'm in the mood to provide answers to all your prying questions. What kind of questions? Well, like why don't I tan? Why don't I cut my hair? Why—?"

"How did he convince you to marry him? You must have loved him very deeply."

"Oh, wow. You don't pull your talking-point punches."

"You said—"

"Yeah, I did. Give me a second." Duo guzzled his glass of water to buy himself time to sort his thoughts.

"You don't have to—"

"Shush! I'm not gonna wimp out here. Okay. Um… I try not to think about it," Duo confided. "But the question keeps coming back to me: how could I have been so…damned blind?"

"Gullibility is excusable when faced with apparent candidness, especially when combined with the expectation of honesty. You believed what you wanted- possibly."

Duo thought Wufei tagged on that last note of doubt for some reason. He'd have to work that one over. "You don't think he actually felt anything towards me, do you? Don't blame you a bit for doubting! Hell, he's never been much of an actor. I just saw what I wanted, I guess."

If Heero had felt the tiniest amount of affection towards him, that would be something to hold on to.

Duo looked up from his noodle bowl to find Wufei studying his face. Ah, he hadn't really answered his questions, had he?

"I'm waiting."

Duo figured his friend was probably trying to figure out how he could have been such a fool, and if he wasn't off his rocker or something. He decided to make clear he had gone into the marriage idea of his own choice and he hadn't been crazy.

"I wasn't crazy and I'm not now," Duo said.

"I have never thought you were."

"Thinking Heero loved me? That's not crazy?"

Wufei had no answer to that. Gotcha!

"The only way I can explain it is this. Suppose a movie star, someone famous that you totally get off on more than anything in the universe, were to come up to you and smile and ask you out? You'd do it, right?"

"I would," Wufei replied without hesitation.

Duo guessed he had some voluptuous model in mind and went on. "And then this vision of perfection that you'd had in your head for years was charming and … everything. And then this Adonis or, er, Venus, tells you he, or she, has to go on set on the other side of the universe in two days and he, or she, can't live without you and would you marry him, or her, the day after next… kinda a rush and all, but… would you say no?"

Wufei moved his head back and forth slowly. "No. I would have pushed aside every bit of better judgment I had."

"Like me? I don't know if you would have, 'Fei. You seem far more deliberate than that."

"You'd be surprised." Wufei smiled wistfully. "I can act as heedlessly as anyone else in love."

"You've been in love. I'm glad." He was actually in love with his lost wife, then, young as they were. "Good for you. How did you know?"

"When I first started at Preventers, I fell for someone."

"And-?"

"Not available… actually married to another agent. I was perfectly aware. My love poured over me, a thick honey of adoration. You can imagine how that played out sitting around the conference table with Commander Une and both married agents, the happy couple, present. It was terrible. I requested and got sent out on long missions and my feelings were replaced by…something … they wore off."

A real dead end, one-sided affair. It hadn't been what Duo had been expecting to hear. At all. "I-I don't know if what I felt for 'Ro was love or not. I'm not feeling the love now."

"Infatuation is a shallow kind of love, but it's a real feeling. Love goes deeper and spans time and… It's all very unstabilizing at times, especially when you aren't sure it's returned," Wufei concluded quickly.

Duo thought his friend had more to say, but was keeping it inside, probably to keep from hurting Duo. It seemed to be troubling him, from the frown on his face. Feeling it was his turn to ask a question, Duo did, "What?"

"I always thought the four of you were close friends."

"The other Gundam pilots?" Duo shook his head. "Sorry to fry that illusion. Quat and I were kinda buds for a bit during the war. We stayed friends at Preventers, but then he got married and that took up most his free time, as it should, don't get me wrong. I kinda get now that we weren't as close as I'd thought we were. Anyway, it left me-" Duo waved a hand in circles while thinking of how to describe being isolated in a pack of agents and office workers.

"Feeling lonely and left out," Wufei supplied correctly. "I would have felt the same way. That's normal."

"Right."

"What about Barton?"

"Trowa and I were never friends and never partnered as agents. During the war, I think we fought against each other more often than we were on on the same side. Plus, he was married not long after Quat, so…- yeah."

"He married a woman from Iceland, didn't he?" Wufei asked.

"A beauty pageant winner. Jo… something. [A/N: this may be Miss Iceland 2007, Jóhanna Vala Jónsdóttir.] You ever notice that she looks exactly like Quat?"

"I've seen pictures," Wufei said. "She could be his double."

"Yeah, same features and that eye color, heh, heh… Wonder if he ever noticed?"

"How could he not?" Wufei asked. "You knew Winner best. How did he act around her?"

"Polite enough to set your teeth on edge."

The corners of Wufei's lips curled up fractionally. He had that I-know-a-secret expression that might have once annoyed Duo, but that now just made him want to kiss it away, a dangerous thought.

"Then he knew it was intentional," Wufei said. "I wonder what Winner thought it meant for his war-time lover to marry his female look-alike a month after his own marriage?"

Duo shook his head, unsure, and also trying to shake some sense into his own head. Kissing Wufei! "Never talked about it. Not with Quat or Trowa."

"There was no chance to get close. I understand," Wufei empathized.

"And _you_ were mostly away on missions," Duo said.

"Avoiding distractions."

Duo thought about pursuing that interesting statement to see what he could learn about his new friend, and decided to take the indirect approach. If Wufei wanted to tell him, he would. "And there were other folks I got friendly with at work, but you know how other agents are?"

"I found them all focused and busy. I maintained my own detachment."

"Yeah, but we came to Preventers with our own distance-makers—auto-disconnect. Until the 'Gundam pilot' tag is removed from our foreheads, no one will treat us like equals."

"We have no equals," Wufei maintained without apology.

"I guess. So, anyway, that left me with only Heero to talk with at work, when he was around. I admit, I kinda had a crush on him from way back during the war, but since nothing ever came of it, I didn't push him."

"You probably were storing up every little thing that Heero said for years," Wufei said, a wistful softness in his voice, "and trying to convince yourself that he cared about you, even if they don't really mean anything."

At which point Duo wondered if Wufei was talking about himself, but he wouldn't call him on it. Even if he was, it was true for Duo as well.

"Yeah. It was all in my head along with a lot of other crap. I feel I can still talk to Quat when we run into one another, but other than the staged events, which you have attended also, I don't socialize with the others." Duo paused to chew and let Wufei figure out what that meant, which didn't work out.

"But you could have. You were often friendly combatants and you worked for the same organization. I was always the outsider."

"Yeah, well, I'm, you know, _gay_. It makes me the _outer_-most outsider."

"I'm gay, also." Wufei mumbled.

The noodle bowl slipped from Duo's fingers. Good thing he'd finished eating.

"I thought you knew that."

"No." Duo said in a gasp for the breath shaken out of him.

"I thought everyone was aware of my… infatuation with Merquise. I felt as if I had it stamped on my forehead at the time." Right under the "Gundam pilot" designation.

"No," Duo choked on the word. "I had no idea."

"Well, now you do." Wufei downed a glass of water, but it didn't hide his smug expression.

(o)

As they settled into their hammocks for the night, both young men were quietly aware that the delicate new information would have an effect on their friendship- was _already_ causing changes to their relationship.

"'Night, 'Fei."

"Good night, Duo."

Without Duo's conversation, Wufei had only his own thoughts for company. Actually, Wufei had been fairly positive Duo hadn't been aware of his sexual preferences until he told him today. He'd hidden them, along with his attraction to Duo, completely and unambiguously from everyone at his workplace, following the extremely embarrassing Merquise affair. He'd made a mountain out of that mole-hill of an experience, but he'd still been a teenager and it had been such a mortifying incident, having Zechs' wife pull him aside and tell him it was "cute" but that the "googly-eyes" and "idolization of the prince" had to stop. _Cute!_ How galling! It sucked the love right out of him, where he could cram it into a jar and ditch it out to sea on his next assignment.

And then Duo joined Preventers. Wufei could still remember that feeling, that long slow burn of desire for Duo from the moment he saw him walk into his new job at Preventers.

He cleaned up well in his Preventers uniform. Regular food and bathing improved his hair and skin, although the pale, translucent cast to his skin gave away his colony roots and he still had that slender, not-enough-to-eat look about him. Well, Wufei could fix that with some decent cooking. He knew the best restaurants he'd love taking him to.

Oh, Duo! His laughter was infectious; at least, Wufei felt like something had spawned in his bloodstream the moment he heard his rumbling, low laughter. His temperature skyrocketed, his vision went spinning, and his stomach twisted up into a fetid little ball of nerves.

When Wufei rushed over to greet him, Yuy and Barton and Winner were already monopolizing his space. What had killed him inside was the look of absolute adoration on Duo's face, because it had been directed at Yuy. Sure, who hadn't had a case of hero worship over Heero at one time or other? They all had, Wufei guessed. But his had worn off quickly when he'd tried to befriend him. Yuy had been a cold fish and totally self-absorbed—in short, a total disappointment.

And yet Yuy had the intelligence to want to be paired with Duo and help with his training and acclimatization to Preventers. Wufei couldn't fault his wisdom in that category. He wished he could have been partnered with Duo, but it was too late for changes. And Duo looked so damned happy about being Heero's choice.

He didn't want to interfere, and he certainly didn't want a re-play of his earlier disaster with Zechs and go lusting after someone who couldn't return the feeling. Wufei decided to volunteer for another long mission to take him away from the torture of having Duo just out of reach, so tantalizingly close, yet unattainable. It had worked to get him over Merquise; he hoped it would rub out the desire for Duo, too.

Wufei scrubbed at his face, sending a spider flying into the darkness. Sleeping outside had its drawbacks, but not many and all worth it if he got to spend it in a hammock next to Duo. He stifled a chuckle. What an idiot he'd been! As if he could forget Duo. He wasn't some well-oiled, wastrel of a prince doing time for his war deeds by working for that martinet Une! Duo was _everything_ lively and wonderful. No, forgetting him had not worked. Not in the least. If anything, his feelings had intensified, his longing grown. What was it about him that he couldn't get out of his system?

He smiled, knowing the answer would come quickly. _Everything_. He was steaming hot where Zechs was ice and Heero sub-zero. His personality took over a room and included everybody in his warmth and in his overall _bonhomie_. He took everything in stride, jumping Une's hurdles one after another, and coming out, if not on top, pretty close.

Until this last mess.

Dear God. If only he had seen sooner how Duo was not getting anything from his Heero-worship but heartache. That irritated him especially when he heard about the fake-wedding plans and he learned that Heero had no actual affection for Duo. How could he not?_ How dare he not! How could Yuy waste such an opportunity!_

Wufei knew then how excruciating it would be for Duo to go through a fake romance with someone he really did love. He had no problem putting himself in Duo's place and imagining the shock and pain. At the time, Wufei felt his objections had caused the project to be shelved for good.

He should have followed up, made the extra effort. But what if it had cost lives to do it? Revealing a clandestine position to make a call? Leaving his post? Even if he could have brought himself to do what it would have taken to get a call through to Duo or Heero or Commander Une, Duo wouldn't have wanted him to act dishonorably on his behalf. If he had it to do over, he doubted he would make a different choice today. That didn't stop him from wishing he could have found a way to stop the "false wedding mission".

There was no good punishing himself over it now, but he still continued to blame himself for not following up, somehow, and seeing it through to its complete and utter extinction.

If only! Everything would have been different now. Word would have gotten around to Duo that Heero wasn't for him. He would have been sad, but not broken. Wufei could visualize how he would have swept in and showered Duo with all the love and attention he deserved and won his love. Happy endings all around.

But, he'd dashed off on that mad mission a continent away, vowing to do something about his feelings for Duo on his return. Naturally, as luck would have it, the lengthy operation stretched on and on, doubling the planned time to complete. When he'd come back, it was too late. Duo had up and gone. Run and hidden himself away on this island.

Not completely hidden. He was hiding in plain sight of anyone who had cared to look.

Wufei smiled with pride. It had taken him, what, a minute to discover Duo's whereabouts? Of course, he was a top-notch Preventers agent. _Had_ been.

After discovering what had happened in his absence, Wufei had reserved a day to lick his wounds, real and emotional, and take a long hard look at himself and his future. Did he have a future without Duo looming large in it?

Not a future he wanted, surely. Time away from Duo had only made his feelings grow stronger. And before leaving, he'd made that promise to himself to tell Duo how he felt- he never broke a vow. What if there was a chance Duo would want him, would he let Duo get away for good this time?

No, of course not! He would not make that mistake. But that meant giving up a career he liked and in which he had invested a lot of time and effort, to run off to be with someone who was not in any state to start a new relationship. Was that irrational or romantic?

Who cares? This wasn't some academic exercise, it was his life—the one and only one he had to live! He had another chance at Duo. He had to try and win him. That was the only thing worth his time thinking about.

Period.

And then he started to recall his last visit to Preventers main station.

"My resignation," Wufei ground out the words from between teeth clenched against saying more. The effort to exert control over his emotions was too much, though, and he slammed the paperwork on his commander's desk.

"What is this about, agent?" Une asked.

"You have to _ask_?" That he spit out. "You fuck over Maxwell like he's just so much dross in the system- and using _Yuy_- _disgusting_! And you have the _audacity_ to question my decision? Why not ask me why I'm not ready to look the other way and just forget it ever happened?!"

"Why don't you? The others have." Une set down her tablet and looked directly at Wufei for the first time. "He's an agent. He did his job, now tear that up and do yours."

"They are human beings! The injustice, the dishonor… it's revolting! I would never be able to work alongside agents willing to stab another in the back. I would be forever looking over my shoulder. No. You can file that with these!" He ripped off his jacket with the many ribbons honoring his achievements, tore the badge from his pocket and the Preventers-issue gun from his holster, and piled them on the desk.

He stormed out of her office and proceeded to hunt down every man and woman who had had anything to do with that mission. Up until this moment, Wufei had totally blotted out that time period. It wasn't something he wanted to relive. He had dealt with the problem as he saw fit and then…it was time to go, stopping at the elevator door long enough to shout at the room of agents. "You can all go to hell!" The door opened with a "ding" and he spun on a heel, leaving the only job he'd ever been proud of behind.

Forever.

Now, Wufei considered that decision, and others, leading to his progress to date courting Duo. His objective was no longer just about obtaining and securing Duo's affection. He wanted to give Duo something to treasure forever.

He lay supine for a while, staring up and out towards the sea at a clear sky filled with stars. His heart beat hard. He held his breath, wishing he could freeze the moment. Duo was asleep; he could hear his breathing- quiet and even.

He drew a deep breath of his own in time with Duo's. The air smelled good, different from any other he could remember. Some odors took him right back to where he'd first encountered them, like the smell of tea-smoked duck. One sniff and he was strolling the L5 marketplace where shiny brown ducks hung over coals and smoky tea leaves.

What he had and treasured, were many fond memories of his childhood. Duo, he knew, had few. Duo had had a hard life and deserved, Wufei felt, a better one.

Yes! He would give it to him if it were the last thing he did! He vowed to make Duo's life a good one and provide him with as many good memories as he could so he could look back on his life with pleasure. And then, no matter was the coastal town Duo might visit, the smell of the sea would return him to this island, a tiny point where they met and had this strange magical time.

He wanted to make his stay the best possible for Duo, and maybe if people believed a magical system fixes everything, it would come true. He felt jubilant inside. He had an honorable goal. "Winning" Duo's heart might not be attainable, but doing something to make his life better was.

(A/N: Thanks go to Rhyanthia for her interest in what led up to Wufei's departure in Sanc, which helped develop this ending.)

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

* * *

Another week passed. They had not returned to the topic of their shared homosexuality. Duo felt that they both seemed comfortable with it being tucked safely away in a not-used but not-forgotten corner of their relationship. For the time being.

Wufei had begun his hunt for a job, a weak attempt so far, but Duo didn't blame him for wanting to extend his vacation. He hoped he'd decide to stick around, at least until Duo's job ran out. In the back of his mind there was still the fear Wufei would return to Preventers, but it was fading thanks to Fei's determination to find something new to do with his life. In the meantime, Duo loved having Wufei clean house and do the laundry and often take charge of the dinner preparations.

Duo checked the clock. It was nearly lunch time, and he couldn't wait. He smiled. Wufei should be done with the wash about now. The man did like his life scheduled and the structure fit nicely into Duo's more carefree mode of operations, complete with rituals and clock-watching.

Duo had accustomed himself to Wufei's daily visits, just as he had moving to an entirely new climate, food groups, and way of life. But unlike the lifestyle changes, Wufei's presence was quickly growing into an essential part of every waking minute. From the moment he awoke with his friend drowsing in the hammock only a few feet away to the last moments of wakefulness, again, with Wufei an arm's length away—

"AH!" Duo jumped to answer his phone. He was in the habit of leaving it on now, in order to chat with Wufei and occasionally Quatre. This was a call from neither one.

Noooooooo! Duo felt as if his brains would fall out, _then_ explode into a shimmering waterfall of fireworks, _then _regroup in a solid mass just long enough to salute the island's flag hanging on the wall above his head, _then_ split apart again into a hundred individual pieces decked out in majorette costumes, _then _prance off with the marching band singing "We Shall Overcome."

"Duo!?"

"Um, yeah. Hi, Heero?"

"Duo. I'm at the hotel. I've come to see you and to apologize. Can we meet?"

Duo's brain remained a bit smudgy on details after that. Before taking off, though, he did remember to message Wufei to meet him at the market and repeated "come" three times with plenty of "!" marks. He got Heero's name in there someplace.

They met in the lobby. At least Heero was out of uniform. At least. God. It was Heero with his back turned, shirt pulled taught across his broad shoulders for all the tension leashed inside. Duo felt torn between wanting to wait for Wufei's backup and running for his life. His heart threatened to pound a way out of his chest.

"Hey," Duo said hoarsely. To avoid a scene in front of people he knew and was friendly with, he led Heero directly out the door.

No Wufei in sight, still! Duo practically marched to the market place in lock-step and double-time before Heero called for a halt.

"I'd like to talk."

Duo freed his sleeve from the other man's iron grip. "Oh, you would, would you? And say what?" Duo turned up his defenses to "high" and stuffed his hands into his front cargo pockets.

"I'm sorry."

Duo tapped his foot and avoided his eyes. He scanned the horizon instead, but didn't see hide nor hair of Wufei. What was taking him so long?

Heero cleared his throat. "I've been told that I hurt you. You quit Preventers. That was an unexpected consequence of the mission, as well. I am here to tell you that I didn't mean that to happen. Any of it. I'm sorry."

"Oh, you are, are you? Well, I don't forgive you. Not. At. All. I'd like to say it doesn't still hurt, being publicly humiliated and, worse, rejected, lied to! I wish I didn't still feel it deep down where it's hard to reach, or I would have ripped it out with my heart. Obviously _you_ feel nothing. That must be nice for you." The more Duo shouted, the better he felt, and once he got started it was hard to stop.

"It's not nice," Heero said, interrupting the flow of angry words. "I didn't tell you, but I was feeling like my worst self when I called you. Things aren't right. You are needed at work. Your presence is important."

There! Duo spotted his friend heading their way, still carrying the laundry rucksack. Yeah, he was rushing to his aid. Too bad he was hefting his gear bag instead of dropping it at home first, not that it seemed to be slowing him down much. Just knowing Wufei was on his way gave his confidence a boost.

"Miss me, huh?" Duo did not suppress his sarcasm one bit, guessing Heero wouldn't recognize it.

He was right. Heero nodded his affirmation. "I didn't realize-."

"But you don't love me or want me, or in particular, want to marry me."

Heero shook his head to the negative. "I'm not attracted to any men, but if I were, it would be you."

"My math's failing to add "you" plus "me" and get anything like an "us". There's just so much of the "you," that humble little "me" simply doesn't count."

(o) Wufei pov

Wufei folded the last towel and stuffed it into the one bag. He looked on the carefully cleaned and pressed clothes with pride before easing them into his rucksack. Job well done.

He shouldered both bags and trotted back to the home he had made for himself with Duo. He had time to drop off the things at the hut, change clothes… no… shower and then change his clothes. He wanted to look his best. Today was the day. He'd had enough of the tip-toeing around the subject. He was a man. Duo was a man. Clearly, they were mutually attracted. It was time to do something about it. A nice lunch and then he'd walk Duo back to his work, pulling him into that shadowed walkway he'd discovered while reconnoitering the day before, and kissing him for all he was worth. He'd never kissed anyone before, but he knew without a doubt that once his lips touched Duo's he'd have no problem figuring out where to go from there.

"I shall throw caution out the window, because I'm playing for my life," Wufei told himself.

And then his phone vibrated so hard it nearly leapt off the floor where he'd left it while bathing. "What the-? Duo?"

His vision blurred as he re-read the message. Heero had come for Duo. He was to meet them at the market. Dear God. One short message had delt him a crushing blow

Wufei couldn't believe it at first. After everything? But, of course, Heero had come to set things right, and, probably, Duo would fall under his sway again. What should he do?

He couldn't decide whether to fight for Duo or give up. If Duo chose Heero over him after all Heero put him through, then, he'd never had a chance in hell to win Duo. He had to be prepared to leave them in peace and fade off into the sunset, even if it was the middle of the day.

He emptied the rucksack and re-packed his measly collection of things. Clothes mostly. One momento he'd keep; a rock from the kayaking trip which had kept Duo's craft from being swept off the shoreline in the storm. It hadn't been large, just in the right place at the right time. Pumice and buried mostly in the sand. It wasn't heavy, so he tossed it in the bag.

Duo, he knew, had found something to admire in him, Wufei had seen it in his eyes more than once. During the storm in the tiny place they ate, at the table, sitting close. He'd let Duo choose, but he wouldn't allow Yuy to bully him into that choice.

"But you really don't know what you're going to see when you get there," he said letting out all the bitterness he felt.

He dragged his feet like a dog walking to be bathed, loathing every step. As he neared the outdoor market, he noticed other men, looking down and out, men who passed through life the hard way, reclusive and wary, overlooked and forgotten.

That would not be him! Chang Wufei, last of his clan, would not go out hanging his head. Chin up-!

He spotted Heero and Duo, and Duo was not looking happy. At all. Until his head turned his way. He locked eyes with Duo and watched a smile spread from his mouth to his eyes. Hope! There was hope! Duo needed him!

Wufei start to run.

(o)

"Do you still want to marry me?" Heero asked just as Wufei reached Duo's side.

"Hey, you made it," Duo said tossing a lot of grateful into the mix of emotions he tried to confer with his greeting.

"Of course. Wufei rested his rucksack on the ground and frowned at Heero. "Yuy, what are you doing here?"

"Talking to Duo. I came to see him, not you."

"Since we're talking the cold hard truth here," Duo directed to Heero, "and since I'm not sure if _you_ know, I'm telling you that actually you're not the only guy on earth-."

"I'll leave if Duo asks me to," Wufei said in reply to what Heero had said.

"Why would I tell you to go?" Duo asked, mystified. "I just called you-."

_Wheeang! Thunk!_

The rest of what Duo was going to say got lost in a volley of gunshot. One bullet flew past Duo and embedded itself an overhead wooden sign.

_Eeee thwang!_

The next hit the aluminum pole Heero had been leaning against.

Duo's hand flew to a weapon he no longer carried. From the corner of his eye, he saw Wufei doing the same thing and letting out a curse. Next thing, he saw a blur of the rucksack lifting before the weight of it pushed him over.

_Pop! Fump!_

That one sank into Wufei's bag, hitting something hard. What would be hard in the laundry, Duo wondered?

A pair of strong arms whipped around him and pinned him where he'd fallen to the ground. Wufei. Duo looked past his black hair just in time to catch a glimpse of Heero poised, aiming, then opening fire with his super-deluxe, official Preventers-issued handgun.

A cry of anguish, a clatter and thump. Silence. The sniper was dead, Duo had no doubts. The ground was hard, but he liked the weight of Wufei on his chest. Eyes closed let him imagine the man about to kiss him and make love.

"Yuy!" Wufei shouted. "Put that fucking phone down and come help me with Duo. He might be hurt!"

"He's not. The shot fired entered the wood sign here, over my ear. The marksman wasn't aiming for Duo. He was aiming for me. I know that now. I was right. I'm notifying Preventers."

Heero's face came into focus, and Duo propped himself up on one elbow then shouted, "You came here… luring a terrorist here… using me… This was another mission?!"

Was Wufei here for that reason too? Oh, God! Oh, God, oh God! Had he come here on a mission, too? Was this all just another job for them? Duo's stomach cramped; he felt sick, felt backwards onto the ground, and curled in on himself again, groaning. Used _again_ and by _both_ of them!

"Duo, look at me! Are you injured?" Wufei's voice was right in his ear.

Duo turned his head enough to make eye contact. There! There was a look in Wufei's eyes- concern, unmasked worry, and interest. He cared! Duo squeezed his eyes shut. He held onto that expression and pushed the bad thoughts away.

Heero certainly had proven in the past that he was fully capable of putting him in harm's way. But no way would Wufei! He was above all else a man of honor and his word. If he was to believe in anything, any_one_, it would be Wufei Chang.

"Yeah, I'm okay, 'Fei." He leveled his voice and tried sounding in control again, but it was difficult with the other man's solemn eyes looking him over and face close enough to kiss. "Go help settle the people over there. I'll try to assure folks nearby."

Wufei didn't let him go. He pressed them together chest to chest. "Duo," he whispered.

"Can't… breathe…" Duo gasped back.

Instantly the compression relaxed. The hands moved to his shoulders and Duo was gazing into a pair of earnest brown eyes dark as midnight. "I'm _fine," _Duo reassured him again. "Go on. Show'em how tough us Preventers, ex or not, are. 'Ro will be on his target before I even stand up."

A local constable stood guard over the slain man. Luckily there had only been the one casualty. Carnage was no longer an acceptable outcome, and Heero was a crack shot. Heero joined Wufei and Duo calming and checking on a cluster of onlookers.

While waiting for the next level of police to arrive, Duo thought it was time for a little sorting out. He rounded on Heero. "You wanted to talk? So talk. I can't wait to hear what you've' got to say to me."

"I really came here to say I am sorry."

"For what?" Wufei barked impatiently.

Duo almost laughed. He'd wondered how long his techy and impatient friend would be able to hold in all the things he obviously wanted to say to Heero. And 'Fei could rant with the best of them!

"How many things are you sorry for? Try one… You accused Duo of having given you a STD! That was unconscionable!"

"That wasn't me! I told them to think of something else!" Heero gritted his teeth as if fighting a war with himself to keep his damning words caged in. "Part of the plan was to circulate that before the wedding to explain the suddenness of it."

"It didn't happen." Duo said to verify what he remembered.

"It wasn't _necessary_," Heero said. "Other planted articles made it sound as if we'd been… together…secretly… for some time." After stumbling over those words, he looked thoughtful for a second. "When the false story never appeared in the news, I assumed they'd taken my advice and the entire idea had been canned."

Wufei snorted in disgust. "You should have followed up. I made the mistake not verifying the entire mission had been re-worked having most of it slated to the garbage bin, or cancelled entirely, but I at least had the excuse of being on the other side of the planet neck-deep in a battle!"

Heero drilled him with a harsh glare. "I can't think of everything."

"And yet, you seem to when you put your mind to it," Duo said. "I think the part where I'd been slowly dying of a new as yet _incurable_ form of AIDS as a reason for the fast wedding and why I hadn't been seeing action for some time... that level of detail had your mark on it."

"Une thought it made me a more sympathetic character." Heero felt enough guilt to look somewhat abashed and turn his intense gaze away.

"It wasn't some kind of _game_; it was his _life_!" Wufei remarked with a definite growl attached.

Duo cross-checked if Wufei was about to go ballistic, but as heated as he sounded, his face appeared under complete control. He found that admirable considering how this must have thrown a loop in his daily routine. Sure, Wu had had to adapt- and he had very quickly to fit into Duo's lifestyle- but he'd had a few weeks to acclimatize. Heero's visit had been totally unexpected and unplanned, something Duo could roll with. Duo had had a lot of weird experiences by not having a plan. Some parts of an event, like the one unfolding, made complete sense as you watched, like a movie, while other parts made no sense, like the day of his mock-wedding. It created the kind of chaos that demanded its own kind of discipline, and Wufei Chang apparently had that in spades. Duo respected how the man could wade through crazy stuff to hit at the heart of the matter.

God, how he prized the man, his best-est best friend, the best friend anyone could ever have. How he loved him! Oh… _cripey_… he had fallen in love with Wu. Yes, he had. Wow. Now, all he had to do was rid himself of the irritating Heero, and then he could move on to better things.

Heero ignored the angry man, a mistake, Duo thought, and focused on him instead. "Besides, this… tension from you—"

"Tension? That was fucking _love_ staring you in the face, you asshole!" But not like the love growing inside him now. This one had roots and potential to blossom like gangbusters once he got alone with 'Fei again.

"This," Heero waved a hand to incorporate Duo and himself into his statement, "was all inevitable."

"Maybe," Duo gave him that much. "But just because something is said to be inevitable, doesn't make it morally right. You're an ass," Duo simply stated.

"Worse than that," Wufei doubled down for him. "You must have known how Duo felt about you and yet you totally exploited that! If I ever, ever had someone love me that much… who would stop their life and join mine at a moment's notice? I would cherish that person and treat them like gold. God, I can't imagine how you can be so complacent about it!"

Anyone could see how upset Wufei was. Duo knew that it came from a depth of feelings, feeling for him, and he smiled. He as much said he would love and cherish Duo, given the right sign. Right at the moment, Duo wished he had a giant "Come get me!" sign to plaster on his ass.

Heero was a much harder read, but he appeared to be thinking hard, mulling over what had been said—or scanning the horizon for an escape route. Duo wasn't sure. "I placed your feelings second to accomplishing the mission," Heero said at last.

"Just come to that conclusion? Well, yeah, you did, 'Ro. And I feel sorry for you that you are able to do that," Duo said softly. "What would you have done if the snipers hadn't shown up?"

Wufei wobbled on his feet and Duo reached out to steady him. It was completely unnecessary, but Wufei didn't object, so Duo left his hand on his shoulder a second longer and the started moving it slowly across the expanse of his back to encompass him completely. Wow, that felt grand, and Wufei hadn't flinched.

"I would have gone through with the wedding," Heero replied in his flat tone. "I had a suit in the car, just in case."

Wufei couldn't hold back his remarks; although, Duo's arm across his shoulders might have physically keeping him from taking a swipe at Heero. "It is as if you don't know what to do so you borrow ideas from the writers of penny romances, and you frequently borrow the wrong bits."

Heero shrugged his comments off and continued to stare into Duo's eyes, waiting to hear what he had to say.

Duo had plenty to impart and it took two hands to say it. He needed gesturing space, so, sadly, he removed his hold from Wufei. He missed it instantly. Waving both arms helped.

"The perfect soldier is always prepared for any eventuality," Duo said, pretending to recite a page out of a Gundam pilot manual. "Fuck, 'Ro! So, you would have gone ahead and married me, even though you aren't attracted to men in _that way_, and gone on a honeymoon, and _what?_ Did you think I wouldn't have noticed? Did you think we could have lived…happily ever after?" Duo's voice had reached the higher octave. "Have you really no emotional depth at all?!"

"I would have done it for you. No one else." Heero had dropped his voice to a low murmur.

"But it wouldn't have worked! I wouldn't have been happy. You would have been miserable. I know _that_ much and I can _barely_ interpret how you feel from the way you act. Probably, you have a hard time knowing yourself. It's not normal and it's not good enough for me. Wufei here… I can tell how he feels about me with every selfless thing he does, every word of support. Christ! Heero!" Duo flapped his arms in frustration. "Holding on to a mistake continues to be a bigger mistake—I can see that, can you? It's a good thing the bad guys showed up and Trowa got them all."

"Not _all_," Heero just had to point out the man lying on the ground where he'd fallen from a tree.

The local policemen had arrived and two were heading in their direction. Heero already had his Preventers ID out, ready to complete his job.

Both Wufei and Duo were staring at Heero Yuy's Senior Agent, Preventers Identification Card.

"I don't deserve it, but I hope you believe me." Heero's eyes were riveted to Duo's. "This was not a mission. I came here to apologize to you."

"Yeah, but you knew there was one more man on Une's terrorist list out there hunting you."

Heero nodded.

"Serendipity, I don't believe in, 'Ro." Duo gestured to the police hovering around them. "Your fans are waiting to talk to you. And when you're done with them? You'll just have time to catch the next flight off the island."

One clipped nod of understanding and last words—"Goodbye, Duo."

"Backatcher, 'Ro."

(o)

Wufei nearly laughed when he heard Duo telling the man he worked with his news.

"Yeah, I'm taking off the rest of the day. Well, I got shot at. Yep. Watch the news for the complete story, heh, heh. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

He felt the decision required no further defense than "I got shot at." The Duo he knew had lived with "being shot at" all his life with no need to take off time to recover.

"You okay with that? Just some us time?" Duo asked him.

This was for them, time for them. "Yes, very."

Wufei floated in a cloud of euphoria across the sandy beach, and it wasn't just that he'd had two of those lemon beers with the coconut curried pork they'd downed for lunch. The fact that Duo chose him over Yuy, and was walking at his side, planning to celebrate his escape from another man gunning for him, and a terrorist- when Wufei had been so worried that he might not- filled him with an effervescence that keep bubbling over in his laugher. It just transcended joy.

And Duo noticed. "You were going to just pack up and go?" He'd noticed the rucksack and berated Wufei a little over his lack of faith. "Like I would have traded you for him? Wu, Wu, Wu. One Wu in the hammock is worth… a gazillion 'Ro's anytime, anywhere."

Wufei stopped at the entrance to their hut and turned when Duo's hand rested on his shoulder. When Duo's other hand reached for his hand, Wufei nearly swooned the blood moved so fast to his groin.

His lips moved, "Duo," but no sound came out.

"First, I wanted to thank you for saving me in more ways than one."

Wufei tried to tell him "It was nothing. I'd do it again," but what came out was, "Duo."

Staring into those dark blue eyes, he felt overwhelming love, lust, and happiness. It would kill him if he didn't find an outlet for all that emotion, and soon.

"Un, huh." Duo chuckled and smoothed some of the loose black hair away from Wufei's face.

His eyelashes fluttered shut and he leaned into the intimate touch. "Duo."

"So, tell me, why did you really come here?" Duo asked. Yes, he hadn't heard the full answer yet. Wufei had always told him something different. "You wanted a change of scenery, a vacation, and to avoid people at work you'd lost respect for—I get that. Even to be my friend in need, but why _really_?"

This was his chance. He found his voice and mastered his vocal cords. "Because you were here." It still came out barely above a whisper.

"You mean, if I'd gone to the South Pole, you would have trekked all the way there and set up camp?"

"Yes." Wufei's eyes popped open and he met Duo's gaze straight on. "And then I would have done everything possible to convince you to change climes."

Duo smiled fully. He moved slowly, studying his friend's face. Before Wufei charged into his life on the island, the topic of their romance had been off the table. Then it had been about past affairs and getting over them. This was really happening now.

"We're entering dangerous territory," Duo said. He'd been wrong, very wrong, before with Heero.

"Bah, this is nothing," Wufei scoffed in jest. "Proving myself worthy… something else again."

He was nervous and Duo knew it. They both knew things had moved beyond the flirting stage and were treading warily. Not that either one seemed ready to back out, but there was no rash grabbing and tearing off of shirts.

"Guys on the rebound aren't picky," Duo said with a chuckle. "I'd even travel without much convincing."

"Are you… on the rebound?"

"Yeah." Duo felt confident that he'd chosen the right man to whom he could hand over his heart. "I've ricocheted all over the place like some damn brainless bullet. I am definitely over the perfect soldier"

"He was a fool—"

"Less of that and more without normal emotions. I don't think he ever thought about me, how I would be affected at all."

"Everything about you affects me." He was staring at their clasped hands and breathing hard for someone as fit as him.

"I'm ready for the perfect man, who is also my perfect friend." Duo smiled a little at his corny line, and Wufei looked up again with a widening grin. "Put your arms around me," Duo suggested.

"Are you sure?" His dark eyes slid to the side as if he was about to check for onlookers.

"Sure, I'm sure," Duo said.

That's all he needed to hear. Just the encouragement he needed. Wufei wrapped his arms around the narrow waist and pulled him close. He stared directly into Duo's eyes, and told him, "I'd like to do something to make you happy."

"This is good. It makes me very happy, can't you tell?"

Wufei could most definitely feel the hard length pressed into hip and knew Duo could feel his. He was going to kiss Duo now. Beyond that? He had no idea what or how, and he didn't know if Duo did either, but whatever happened, they'd be doing it together. He trembled. Words! What words could he use to express how he felt, what he wanted? And then he dredged up something original, just for Duo.

"Fragments of your love cover my heart like a map, no spots left unmarked."

"Another poem?" Duo asked. He rubbed his hardness against Wufei more urgently, to make his point. "I was going another direction here."

"I said: I'd like to do something to make you happy."

"That's what I thought you'd said. It just didn't strike me as the kind of thing you'd say to me."

"No?" Wufei felt a little hurt. "Why not?"

"I'd think you'd say something more like: what can I do to knock some sense into you and get you back to normal? Maybe even… where can we take this private and let me show you how I really feel?" Duo appeared a little anxious after reeling off all that. "Am I right?"

"I could say any of that, but my goal is to fill your head with good memories. I want to see you supremely happy again."

"Happy, huh?" Duo scratched his head. "Lemme think about that 'supremely' part a sec."

Duo gave a gentle kick and the door opened. "In."

Wufei knew his opportunity had come, and backed Duo to the small mat, hardly what he'd call a bed. Together they sat down, but without warning, because if he thought about how to do it one more time he'd explode, Wufei had his lips pressed flat against Duo's.

"Ohh…" God. He'd done it!

He tingled all over. For a short space in time the heat inside him felt no bounds. It was everything he'd imagined times ten! He had Duo in his arms and was kissing him! Where to put his hands? Oh, that's a good place. There and there and … yes, there… He was grateful things like that came naturally.

When Duo's tongue brushed over his lips he shivered, when his lips parted, the tongue sought entry, when their tongues touched, he moaned from the aching need the contact generated.

If he died now, he thought, he'd die happy. And then Duo's hand moved, slipping under the hem of his shorts, and he felt a tickle go up his thigh, there was no time for thinking after that.

Wufei's answering kiss said it all. Poetry of the lips.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six - Epilogue**

* * *

"Okay. So, don't tell me that I'm rushing into anything. I know that. I'm perfectly aware of that. It's a shortcoming of mine, but believe me I've been thinking, thinking _hard_ and for most of the time you've been here, Okay?"

Wufei set down the bowl of food in order to hold Duo's hand, a gesture both reassuring and intimate. There were moments he couldn't believe his luck. Here he was with Duo. In paradise. He could touch him and shower him with affection as much and as often as he wanted, and Duo soaked it up and gave back with exceptional enthusiasm. Now, it appeared, Duo was just nervously excited about something, something he was having difficulty spitting out.

"Judiciousness is admirable, Duo. It's good to think things through to avoid reckless actions. Acting without forethought—"

"Not good, you are so right. Still, it might _seem_ that I'm going a bit half-cocked, based on my past actions, I'm warning you. But I call it more spontaneous, and if I don't come out and just say it, then it'll be spontaneous combustion. You see, don't cha?"

"Of course. By all means go on and just tell me what's on your mind." Wufei smiled to encourage him again. There wasn't anything Duo could say that could shock him. Having Duo in his life—and to be honest the regular sex that came with it- had brought him a welcome calm to his outlook and a refreshing, carefree attitude.

"I'd like a do-over."

All right, that brought back a dark cloud of doubt. What was he talking about? Could it be that Duo didn't want him anymore? But… How was that a "do over"? No, Duo was not casting him off. He knew the look, feel, and sound of a rejection, and this was not one. Duo had showered him with too much love for that to happen.

He shook off that disturbing thought and moved right on to the next one. Did Duo want to repeat the wedding and this time be the one to tell Heero to go to hell? He _might_ want to do something like that. Unlikely, but possible.

When he looked up, Duo was watching his face. "The wedding?" He'd start with that, the most likely "do over" event and narrow down the possibilities.

"Yeah."

Wufei started the lecture he had prepared to give Duo at some point, and was glad he'd saved it for now. "You know your triumph comes from overcoming your defeats, not by getting even."

"I didn't mean I wanted to Do. **It.** Over. God, no. I meant I'd like to do it again _differently_. A wedding, but re-casting _you_ in the role of my husband-to-be."

Me? He means me? Me! This time when his dark eyes looked up at Duo, they were wide open from the shock of what Duo had suggested, but also with a look of anticipation in there.

"Do you mean-?"

"Yeah, I'm asking you to marry me. Whattya say?"

Wufei said "yes" absolutely, without question or room for misinterpretation. A waffler, Wufei was not.

"I promise to me worthy of—"

"Eh, no need, Wu, you are worthier of better than what I got, but if you don't know that then I'm not gonna educate you on how I'm the lucky one here. You just… promise to show up."

"Dear God, Duo… nothing short of a direct hit by a Leo would keep me away, and even that… No, I'd find a way."

"Aw…" Duo grinned and kissed his nose. "Proof positive that dreams can come true, right, babe?"

"Every one of them."

(o)

Wufei and Duo put off the wedding ceremony for nine months. Wufei claimed he wanted a suitable time frame to plan a memorable event and allow Duo to complete the hotel's internet security upgrade he'd committed to.

Secretly, and most importantly, he meant to give Duo time to re-consider.

Not only did Duo never have second thoughts, he contributed many ideas of his own to the wedding. It ignited an energetic and illuminating give and take of creative thought processes.

The suggestions included:

Riding up the aisle on elephants; Wufei denied him little, but that was one of the lined-out items.

Wearing see-through wedding clothing; Wufei encouraged Duo's inventiveness, but put his foot down over that as well.

"We can all form a kind of… conga line."

"We? Who do you mean, Duo? You and I? The wedding party? The guests?"

"Yeah, us, all of them! Everybody! You and I lead the band, so to speak, and the most important participants follow and close ranks at the end."

"_Have_ we any guests? So far, you've designated everyone as 'participant'."

"I guess we don't. We've only invited the important people anyway."

"That's true. So, everyone lines up?"

"After us and we dance along the beach until we get to where we're going and then we have the ceremony and… that's that!"

Wufei didn't think he'd ever known a wedding like that, but he hadn't been to many and the ones on L5 would be far too complicated and meaningless to Duo, himself, also, without family to lend significance and drama. "All right. We dance to the… altar."

"Made of palm tree leaves."

"Fine, those are easy to come by."

"At sunset."

"As close as possible. I'm not promising we can make children stick to a timetable."

"Fair enough. But there's gotta be food and lots of it."

"Of course."

There were other things to consider, like flowers and music, but their friends Joni and Jiko saw to a plentiful supply of both. The flowers, none the worse for wear, were collected after and re-used for their own wedding a couple days later.

Wufei avoided the police force openings and found a job as a martial arts teacher about the same time Duo completed the job for the hotel. Duo was the most qualified IT person on the island, resulting in a great demand for his services. He decided to contract out his expertise and work freelance. They could live in comfort and not worry about having to leave in search of other opportunities in the near future.

Three days after the engagement announcement, Quatre and Louisa came out for a visit; they loved the place so much they purchased the Hotel De Mark. "Everyone can stay here for the wedding," the wealthy Winner heir decided, and Wufei and Duo agreed.

Their hut-land "wouldn't be the same if invaded by the Continental forces," Joni had complained. Winner's hotel would resolve that problem. Done.

Duo's biggest fear was that no one would come. Wufei's biggest fear was that no one would leave and came closest to having it come true.

As it turned out, Quatre and Louisa flew in everyone from Sanc, including Trowa and his wife Joanna and son, Fear, (Duo didn't know how it was spelled, but the name sounded like that to him, and Wufei told him it was the word for "four" in German and that Barton was losing his subtly with age); Zechs and Lucrezia Merquise, with twins Andre and Ada; Relena and her beau Prince Raul; and Heero had RSVP'd "yes" for him and his current girlfriend, a knockout named Samantha, so they were prepared to see him again.

Howard, Sally, Hilde, and a few others came on their own with their respective mates.

They all arrived bearing gifts, some more memorable than the others. Case in point: Trowa placed a ring in Duo's hand with the words, "You asked me to hold this for you. I thought it was part of a joke, but… yeah. Thought you'd be wanting it back."

"Thanks." Duo hadn't much else to say. He and Wufei had decided against getting rings. They had no need for reminders of how they were binding their lives together, Wufei had told him. "I have only to look into your eyes."

That had been so romantic that Duo had turned to mush and they'd tried "69-ing" for the first time. He turned the ring around in the palm of hand, remembering what feelings had driven him to buy it in the first place. A lot of wishful thinking, but shallow next to the real thing he was experiencing with Wufei.

"What have you got there?" Wufei asked as he sidled up to him. "A ring? I thought we agreed not to wear them?"

"I didn't get this for you." Duo met his eyes; the dark soulful expression nearly killed him. "Trowa returned it, just now. It was… but it's not… um… What should I do with it?"

"I… don't know. I'll hold it for you." Anything else Wufei had to say about the disposal of Duo's wedding ring for Heero was lost in the flurry of greeting guests.

"This is for you from Commander Une," Zechs said, and he handed over a sealed envelope.

Wufei held it around the edges as if it were dusted in Anthrax. "Why?"

"Er, I didn't invite her or anything," Duo told him.

Zechs nearly rolled his eyes, probably having learned it from his children. "Open it. It's safe. I sealed it personally."

Duo chuckled when Wufei nearly tore it in half. "Hey! I wanna see what she's got to say. It won't spoil our day, Wu. Promise."

It might have cost Wufei a bit of pride, giving into Duo's will, but it was _Duo_ asking him, so he ripped off the end and shook out the papers.

He read the first page and handed it over. "Formal apology to you. Read it and gloat."

"I will," Duo said. "What's the other one for?"

"Recompense. Winner did his job." Wufei showed Duo where his signature was required. "You qualified for a pension payout and to avoid taking the suit to court, there's a substantial sum of money, restitution, for you. All you do is sign here to agree to the terms, and I recommend it since Winner lawyers are responsible and trustworthy."

"As a result of that ruling, the commander's big end-of-the-quarter bonus gets absorbed," Zechs added with a tense smile. "Take it for that reason alone."

"Cool." Duo smiled and folded the papers to deal with later. "Thanks, Zechs."

"Thank Winner. I was just the carrier pigeon." He smiled and congratulated them on their nuptials.

None of their invited guests complained about free passage or free rooms, or having to take a vacation in the far, far South Pacific, or joining in the fun of a conga line, dancing their way through the foamy water to stand by the altar of palm fronds.

Duo wore his hair down. This had been Wufei's wish, one he had circled twice on their list, and Duo had indulged him as long as Wufei wore his free as well. Joni made them both flower crowns from fragrant white flowers growing in the island interior. Jiko taught them how to wear the wrapped cloth sarongs, favored by the young island men. Duo added a light-weight, blue shirt with the sleeves partially rolled up for protection from the sun.

Wufei wanted the same, for modesty. "I will not be half-naked for my wedding—or all naked!" he added before Duo could revisit that suggestion.

"A-aaall naked. That's for me after, right?"

"Yes. For you. After."

And so the two young men dressed alike.

Wufei got his wish to recite a poem, and here's how it went:

I want to be your love for ever and ever,  
Without break or decay.  
When the hills are all flat,  
The rivers are all dry.  
When it thunders in winter,  
When it snows in summer  
When heaven and earth mingle,  
Not till then will I part from you.

The poem comes from Han Dynasty Yuefu folk poem collection.

Tears were shed.

When asked if they had rings to exchange, Wufei said they did and produced a ring he'd made from a twist of seaweed and a shell. Duo stared aghast at the ephemeral memento. For an instant, Wufei wondered if he'd made a terrible mistake, springing something new on Duo at this time.

The instant passed with a warm breeze, and Duo chuckled and let him push it over his knuckles. Wufei withdrew the plain metal ring from his pocket, the one Trowa had returned to Duo, the one once intended to symbolize Duo's bond to Heero. It would be loose; Wufei knew his hands were smaller that Heero's, but that could be adjusted later, if he ever chose to wear it. It was all symbolic anyway.

"With this ring, I thee wed." They each took turns reciting the familiar words, exchanging rings.

Intended to be a solemn and meaningful part of the rite, Duo managed to grin through most of it.

"Can't help it," he whispered into his new husband's ear. "I'm so damned happy."

Wufei had no words, but he'd learned to kiss properly.

The couple's embrace and extended kiss brought a whoop of cheers from the crowd and then Duo waggled his ring finger in the air, showing off "it's awesomeness".

By the time the eating began, the reception had grown to several hundred, including the laundry room attendant, the kayak rental folks, and the entire police force. They felt that with Preventer agents putting in a show, they had to also, and so, all twelve arrived. Literally everyone Wufei and Duo had come into contact with showed up for the reception. Not one invitation had gone out. None had been required, thank you. Word of mouth was the island way.

Wufei lured Duo away from the party with heated looks and suggestive hints. When at last he had Duo to himself and their hut in view, he was surprised when Duo asked, "So, what do you wanna do?"

"What do _you_ want to do?" Wufei returned in an attempt to gauge Duo's state of mind Was his kidding around? Tipsy? Serious—the least likely?

"Talk." Duo smiled serenely. "You never told me what you studied in college."

Oh, that couldn't interest him at all! Wufei now knew he was teasing him. Should he call his bluff or chart a new course?

"Human sexual practices," he replied, looking as grave as possible.

"What?!"

"You know that was a joke." Pleased that he got the response he wanted, he laughed. "Duo, you don't want to listen to me elaborate upon the courses I took and material I mastered, I know."

"Maybe later," Duo admitted.

As they shed clothes and warm bodies touched, they both looked forward to charting new as yet undiscovered territory.

And live happily ever after.

**The End. **


End file.
